true Divine Worship as any of them And therefore also the thousands of extatical exaggeratings execratings and abominatings the World yieldeth no fit words herein against it self of false Worship and Worshippers ought to have their full force against confusion and disorder in the body members and functions of Divine worship as against other sins of omission or commission therein especially since the especial propriety of Antichristianisme consisteth therein as the proper frequent title therof Babylon confusion Rev. 17.11 14 18. understanding observation and experience of its courses and the nature of its type the confusion of the tongues of the world and the orders of Gods worship in Babylon do severally and more joyntly evince But if these degrees wherein the Scripture preferreth it before the membral matter of worship in its manner of handling them both be added thereto how can we be less zealous and jealous herein than therein yea those degrees are not dark strained nor small neither are they all that might be gathered as the very extent of v. 3 4 5 6. above v. 1 2. sheweth but the introduction of the membral matter it self of the Church its offices and their works in way of apportioning and limiting each work and office of the Church yea of the Church it self by its proportionableness to those works and offices doth inestimably dignifie the observation of this distinctness and bound-mindedness in Gods Worship and force us to sympathize with the Holy Ghost in our intentness thereon and therein or if these things will not no means will untill the time of reformation and restitution cometh mean while the discerners hereof must exercise their Faith in receiving these priviledges of Faith their obedience in working these works of Gods worship their understanding in discerning what God hath thus distinctly determinated their temperateness in actuating their graces without excess or defect in these special tryals of boundedness and sound-mindedness their patience in waiting for the fruit of their sincere endeavours herein patiently and possessing their souls in patience both which these of all other will most exercise their godlyness in true zeal for and godly jealousie against what GOD herein proposeth as their special objects their brotherly-love in exercising all these sixe graces in this matter for the good and benefit of their Brethren therein remembring that the godlyest zeal of Gods honour which ought to eat up us and all that is ours is not to eat up what is our brothers i. e. our dealing with them herein as they are able to hear and bear And lastly their natural love to all as naturally good in walking holily therein to win unto Christ those that are without Christ and not giving just offence to those that are without knowing that we once were such and that these Ordinances are services of God and his servants and not knowing who though now without belong unto the election of God nor how we fall into their danger by sin or otherwise For if these things be in us and abound in this special matter we have a special testimony of our Election promise of our perseverance in the works and fruits of godlyness and unto eternal happyness 2 Pet. 1.5 to 8. where also the contrary is annexed to the defect thereof Now therefore of some of those glimpses in the close as of the distinctness of the four Offices to be exercised in the Church-Congregation with their distinct functions and fruits and also of their roots yet as of one subjective ortive root unto one objective Lordive fruit by one ejected project of by and for the one Deity yet according to its Trinity GOD. FOr first God as the Father willing himself to be our Father sent Christ as God-man to make us his sons and servants by the Spirits proceeding from both their will and order to operate that compleat entity unity community coity or eternal fruit of all CHRIST Whereby secondly Christ as Mediator became our Prophet to teach us our Priest as personally to cause so setly to preserve exhort and as our powerful King to effect command and commend our preservation of nature according to the Law by the Gospel unto Heaven CHVRCH-OFFICES Whereby thirdly he had right power to institute the Teachers office the Exhorters Comforters or Priestly office the Rulers Orderers Shepherds Rectors or Kingly one and the Preservers Distributers Providers office authorized state and right FVNCTIONS Whereby fourthly they had right officially ministerially to teach to exhort provoke affect our sons nature to Gods service to rule order shepherd our many stations of both and to provide for our naturewhile we submit to all three ABILITIES To all which fiftly the Spirit enableth them by light sight and might to teach by the Spirit of grace and wisdome to exhort and provoke and the gift of discerning of spirits and of ruling to rule and the gift of instinctive brotherly simplicity indulgently to provide for us GRACES Sixthly To our son-like receiving of gracious serving in holy knowledge sincere tender devout gracious heart and affections Christian approvable words deeds and life constant fosterers provision unto our preservation and personal content GLORIES Seventhly all these are in their subjective native ortive heavenly nature projective stative ordive heavenly typical order ejective exertive dative cordive power objective dotive lordive end glory scope upshot in of by and for glorified heavenly illuminations gracious motions infusions sonlike sincerity perfect pure unreprovable conversation with God and Saints compleat internal supernal external eternal means and end of intent and content comfort glory divineness of wit will work and weal. FINIS THE EXPOSITION OF The 18. Chapter of Matthew WHEREIN Proceedings in cases of Offences both positive and opposite are cleerly demonstrated Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted See 2 Cor. 2.6 7 8. 2 Thes 14 15. LONDON Printed for Henry Eversden at the Sign of the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard 1656. The Scripture text or Divine Word or Conscience-warrant of Church-power Jurisdiction or Discipline true and in Gods account both in the warrant and warranted in respect of Christ and his Worshippers and false or humane of Antichrist of two sorts stative and personal or on both sides of Christs all persecuted by the World as Christ and the two Theeves on either side of him by Pilate with their Metaphrase and Exposition in brief 1. Of that of Christ and his instituted peculiar worshipping Ministerial or separate Church of Separates 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. in the literal warrant and its opening to Christians Matth. 18.15 to 20. VER 15. 1. BUT that is rather then he one of these little ones v. 14. which referreth us to v. 10. and that to v. 2. should perish by his dejected softness or childishness 2. If As a grievous unexpected casual and rare matter 3. A Brother An
nine preceding ones all ten being prescribed unto and to be practised by the body of the Church to whom they were written Chap. 1.1 not by nor to any one or few thereof which also the whole ten verses shew Secondly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animadvertize or censure him or bring him to tryal or noting with notes or marks of guiltiness or not guiltiness is too barely translated note him which each person can do alone and may suppose in that wrong bare sense to be his duty but it is a legal and judiciary term of the Romane and Grecian Judicature when the Senate thereof tryed the arraigned and if they found him guilty they signed noted and censured him by a black Stone Bean or Pease c. Of that of Antichrist Stative Hierarchical Ecclesiastical Vniversal Papal Romane Bestial Regal 2 Thes 2.3 4 8. Dan. 11.21 31 36 to Chap. 12.11 Rev. 13. 1 Joh. 2.18 and 4.3 Matth. 24.15 Mar. 13.14 1. VVHensoever as the erection of a perpetuall Inquisition-Court and authoritive persecution spying spiting trying frying the four legs of the Beast which bear him up and about his mischief 2. Any man which sheweth the boundless extent of the Kingdome of Antichrist over all men especially any religious man 3. Is reported i. e. proved by the Worlds word of truth or affidavit truly or falsly upon knowledge or suspicion of errour or envy c. they are all alike currant in the Devils Antichrists the Fleshes and the Worlds Courts and courses especially in England the old Ass of Antichrist and Issachar and yet not much reformed but onely refined swept and pranked 4. By any of my followers Formalists or Conformitans i. e. any truly or seeming worldling Rev. 13.3 14. on the earth 5. To have sinned i. e. to have broke my Canons Decrees and Traditions they being the living aâ—d authorized Scripture and the Light Soul and Life of Gods Word 6. Let all my Apparatours and their Praeparers the Priests Church-wardens and Side-men of every Parish 7. Present and cite him to my Diocesan Courts and Judges 8. Let them examine article and accuse him canonically though rudely upbraidingly and scurrilously 9. If he compurge not or 10. If they have any colour of proof to satisfie the world withall 11. Admonish him thrice by saying I admonish you once twice thrice though it be all in one breath without reason motive or respite but onely for form of deluding and abusing Tit. 3.10 12. If he commute not an impudent legal term for bribery in Hierarchical Courts 13 Excommunicate him to force him thereto if he be rich or for spite if he be religious and thereby send him to hell and then 14. Charge the Priest of the Parish as his underling Bayliff or Curate 15. To pronounce it in his Precinct Parish-Church or Chappel of Ease and 16. To forbid all communion with him spiritual and natural personal and publike and then 17. Signifie it to the Magistrate Unto imprisonment or burning 18. But if he commute or conform remit all that is free him from guilt and pain of prison purse and hell it self effectively say the Formalâ—sts and proper Hierarchians respectively and declaringly say the Reformists and mixtly say the Conformists and mixt sort as in the Sacraments and Ordination who are distracted by between and from both i. e. the Familistical takers of the Character in their right hand and yet Gods Ministrations also of his Word Sacraments and Prayer onely in the Church-Estate Ministry and Discipline they are meer Hierarchâ—sts and Enquirers and Presenters of their Parishioners faults and fames and pronouncers of the Prelates sentences and often in the first and last act of persecution of the Saints and promotion of Antichrist how hotly soever on their Mountains they profess preach and press Christ and Christianity 1. Compare this discipline with the true and it is shorter then it by the two first parts thereof and their 16. particulars and in the last it onely counterfeiteth the form therof so far as it standeth with Prelatical pride and profit yet neither the body soul nor life thereof is observed 2. Compare it with its fellow-falshood on the other side and this is less opposite to and differing from the true than that both in the body or parts thereof and in scope and spirit for the soul of that is the very spirit of envy and spite usurpation and opposition or all in one word disdisfraction dis-disseparatisme Jude 19. for detraction of others own from them and of themselves and their duties from others which is so strong in them that they break all Christs bonds and bounds and run wild against the so addicted to Scripture-rules and conscience that they cross their absolute will which they stole from God though it be his peculiar prerogative and the neerest known Diamond of his Essence and Diadem Of that of Personal Antichrist or the Spirit of Antichrist in persons professing Christ 1 Joh. 2.18 4.2 2 Joh. 7.3 Joh. 9. or of Disseparaters of themselves or Separatists Jude 19. Esa 65.5 Rom. 16.17 Gal. 5.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both i. e. Disseparatisme 1 Cor. 4.7 Prov. 28.13 He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy Therefore whosoever discovereth c. 1. VVHosoever as a precious enquirable certain and general duty promise and benefit 2. Discovereth i. e. by listening peeping sifting or enquiring findeth and then by whispering backbiting and reproaching divulgeth dayly to whomsoever will receive and then to the Church that will hear or hath communion or union with him 3. Sins How small soever in nature provocation and number yea though seeming none to the doer nor cleer to the discoverer nor convinced nor convinceable by him but onely offences to us and that taken but not justly given 4. In the Saints of a Church To whom Gods peculiar promises of grace and mercy are made especially to whom God hath given special Offices states or abilities as Canaan and Cham did in Noah Doeg in David and Abimelech Shimei in David Diotrephes in John and his friends either true or false 5. And forsaketh those Saints in what anger and haste of heart he can and manifesteth it by general means as RACA i. e. by slighting and scorning words and gestures c. especially by particularizing some to work their particular mischief termed standing against the blood of their Neighbour even to a Diotrephal Excommunication 6. Shall be highly esteemed for those fruits of Gal. 5.20 i. e. hatred strife jealousie wrath contentiousness separatingness obstinateness enviousness murderousness and the like oft elsewhere 7. And rewarded with his serviles applause of who is able to war with him and with their wondering and wandering after him and with Mordecais honour for discovering Bigthana and Teresh and with doing that is domineering in the meetings of his Diotrephal tyranny or Mauzim or god-God-Church Dan. 11.39 over some of understanding c. till
the time be out v. 35. and to his raigning as a King of such Disseparatists in his own swolne conceit 1 Cor. 4.6 7. Thus hath malice slain the gospel-Gospel-spirit of the Diotrephists to pervert Christs word of truth and mercy to erect Antichrists fraud and fierceness with this bragging and begging Sermon though the plain meaning of this Scripture be clean contrary even to commend as wisdome our own confession of our own known and Conscience-wounding sins to God who knoweth them and our own forsaking them but not to command under the censure of Treason against God our publishing others rumoured facts and unconvinced sins unto men who know them not nor our disseparating our selves and whom else we can from their persons and communion spiritual and natural personal and publike nor to make this frowardness opposite to Christs meek-love-mercy to be that holy towardness teachableness and tractableness toward Christ which he requireth nor that contenting glory joy nor happiness which we desire it being a rejoycing in iniquity murderousness and mischief hated by God and his Saints 1 Cor. 13.6 Rom. 1.31 much less to be irreconcilable to them and inveterate against them and irregular in evil courses toward them These errours and erroneous mischiefs squeezed out of or rather falsly fathered on the word of truth and life especially on this special portion thereof exceedingly aggravateth the impiety and perniciousness of this personall Antichristianisme especially they being made by their Extracters to be parts of Divine Discipline devised by man and so abomination to Christ and Christians and yet pretended from the Word and so making Christ and his Scripture seem contradictory to himself and his Scripture of truth to be falshood and its Spirit and scope of meek-love-mercy to seem to these Deceivers and their Receivers to be a Patron of Usurpation and Pride and a Pattern of Mischief and Cruelty which is very neer if not meer forgery of Christs Scripture incurring all the plagues and curses of his true Scripture The Exposition of Matth. 18. especially of ver 15. to 20. THE 18th Chapter of Matthew best brooketh its name Chapter or Head of Scripture of any that I know First it is equal with any other in all vulgar use Secondly in its Head and Chapter of Gospel-matter it exceedeth other in the expresness thereof v. 1 4. and in the answerable and connected prosecution thereof unto the end of the Chapter And also Chap. 19.1 it is said that Christ had finished all that matter before he passed to any other Thirdly that matter so finished is the handling of the truest state and highest degree of heavenlyness and that in all its distinct parts of sonship servantship and heirship in our relation to God and to our threefold Collaterals viz. to our fellow-sons fellow-servants and coheirs The first of the three unto v. 14. The second unto v. 20. The third in the rest of the Chapter and that both lineally and collaterally and also in the affirmative and negative Fourthly that Christ our sole Gospel-head personal and publike is the sole decider of this head quâ—stion of the chiefship in Heavenliness all which call us to a special respect hereof in the whole and in each of its distinct parts The summariest expression of the affirmative part of the whole is in this word meek-love-mercy and of the negative in this proud-rail-racking The middle part of them is the center chair tryer and crown of the rest and for that reason placed before the first Col. 2.5 for otherwise cultive order and divine Church-worship in the course of generation and nature is after Faith and Personal Union with God thereby for that giveth us right of publike communion with him as with our husband but Conversion by Faith justifieth us and evidenceth our son-like Union with him Heb. 11.1 which our Child-meekness v. 4 called foolishness weakness baseness despisedness and nothingness 1 Cor. 1.27 28. justifieth to be true faith that God onely and no man may have the glory v. 29 30 31. which I desire may be specially considered and throughout my handling the second part remembred lest we deal about the hull and carkase of Religion omitting the precious kernel life and soul thereof and mark that this soul or spirit of Faith Christ and the Word is enmity and implacably opposite to that of Workes-Worth Antichrist and the World This middle or second part of this Chapter being the center throne tryer and crown of the rest and my present endeavours being in and for a Church and spoken and heard by Church-right the Church-use and exercise of this head-grace and soul of Religion is first to be handled for the Church is the center about which this meek-love-mercy is to move and work it is the throne wherein it exerciseth its supream authority it is the tryer of the truth and power thereof at our admission into it and in our being in it and therefore its approbation is the Crown and it the Crowner thereof and its due condemnation the discrowner thereof but onely upon full discovery that it is false and counterfeit and after all divine regular proceedings unto and in that tryall especially it evidently and eminently exercising in them all the true kind and pregnant degree of this meek-love-mercy without which all due conviction of obstinacy is not used without which no Excommunication ought to be by any Church decreed much less executed in affections or actions but least of all may any or many members so discommunicate any or many members or the Church it self whereof they are or any other yea these two last God hath reserved to himself as his peculiar prerogative and therefore our present Church-discipline nor any rule nor grace thereof is to be extended to them without flat rebellion This our second or middle part v. 15. to 20. is an authoritive or regular exercising and trying of that head or heart-grace of meek-love-mercy the subject matter of the 14. first verses and that in three parts or degrees The first is between the tryer and the tryed alone v. 15. The 2d between one or two moe v. 16. as an help both to the first in repentance and to the third in due and certain tryal of guiltiness The third between the tryed and the Church and that before and after that tryal accomplished affirmed v. 17. and ratified v. 18 19 20. There is a connexion of this matter with the former expressed v. 15. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in relation to v. 14. that is it ought to be for the recovery of our sick professing brother if he be curable but if not then for preservation of the Church and with the latter in this word then v. 21. But first of the body of this matter it self and first of the first part or degree thereof v. 15. The sole Institutor Law-giver and head of the Instituted Church prescribeth herein the first part and Use of Divine Church-discipline which is both a service of
Disseparatists Jude 19. or proper Brownists or makers of offences or soul-killing sins more then the word hath made and makers of division or separation thereupon even from true Christians yea true Churches which the word never allowed nor instituted the former which is the 5. point is practised in the said un-Mosaical uncivil un-Messiacal and antichristian courses opposite to Christs instituted Church-order Mat. 18.15 in all the eight points thereof especially to this convincing course our fift part and the sixt of which next in both which abominations and false Church-orders are practised by true Churches in their members telling each other of each others faults main and mean and thereupon separating the reproached as vile Heathens and Publicanes at one hour with the same and reproach raised as if their so reproaching were a judicial tryal and that an authoritive sentence and that a soul-killing and disbrothering execution even all four so soon as the first is spoken by the reproacher yea as if all were done in himself so soon as it is suspected by him Secondly in both these desolations are practised against Christs said instituted membral course of four degrees i. e. 1. certain knowledge 2. due convincing 3. resolvednes of his irrepentance and 4. thereupon proceeding in an executory course of taking Witnesses to testifie it to the Church which onely hath discommunicative power that it may duly separate the otherwise uncurable brother for those four are slighted omitted and rejected by this rejecting or rejectible course and spirit which the word termeth desolating Thirdly confusions of the successive order of these four degrees is practised in one Church-members separating censuring testifying and lastly upbraiding another with sin and in his neglect of Christs precise order prescribed him herein Which 3. practises of 1. abominations or false institutions 2. of desolations of true Institutions and 3. of confusion or Babelism are severaly at least joyntly the quarto modo properties of Antichrist either publike and stative viz. of a false Church-state or personal and membral viz. of the possessed with the evil Spirit of Antichrist 1 Joh. 4.3 whether of Professours at large or of Christs Church-worshippers in state though unmortified in affections and actions especially in matters of the fift sixth and ninth Commandements which the sixth and next point will plainly and plentifully shew This sixth Jngredient into this Divine Saint-healing Medicine is brotherly and tender privacy in all the rest in these words between thee and him alone This therefore sorteth with all the rest in their joynt proper soul and of this whole Chapter viz. in meek-love-mercy and in opposing their and its opposites viz. proud-rail-racking the three parts of both those words answering to the three said distinct parts of this Chapter the former in the positive respect the latter in the opposite The two first parts of the former expresly the last part inclusively in the last part of the latter and the two first parts of the latter word inclusively in the two first parts of the former the last expresly in the last part of the Chapter from v. 20. This sixth part of this soul-saving and sinne-purging sealed receit Job 33.16 sorts also with the other five in their divine and word-holy body as they are instituted parts of Christs Scripture-worship so that the omitters and slighters hereof are Desolators of that Divine Worship and the practisers of any other in its stead though in their conceit much better are abominators thereof and the disorderly users thereof are confusers thereof and so sorters with that Babylon i. e. confusion that abomination and desolation Dan. 11.31 12.11 Mat. 24.15 Mar. 13.14 called also that man of sinne that sonne of perdition 2 Thes 2.3 that Usurper over and Opposer against all called God v. 4. Dan. 11.36 that Antichrist that Beast that Abaddon c. and so gross breakers of the first second fifth and sixth Commandements The gross and flat opposite to this part both in that soul and this body is one Church-members reproaching and speaking evil of another which also in a fifth respect is the proper and prime breach of the ninth Commandement viz. as it tendeth to his discredit for it breaketh the first as it usurpeth over opposeth against Christ the Institutor of that order and means and the commander and commander of that meek-love-mercy and against God his Father and sender It is a breach of the second in all the particulars of this second respect of this sixth Ingredient especially as it forsaketh and desolateth this part of Christs Church-Discipline and erecteth a false one in its stead and so abominateth it and sinneth in the like transgression with Adam who did yea could sinne onely in matter of Divine Institution for when by his shame his sinne was shewn God thence concludeth that he had eaten of the forbidden Institution Gen. 3.10 11. and as it usurpeth over and opposeth against Christs Church-power authority and jurisdiction instituted for as it proudly deposeth or opposeth the persons enrighted thereto and practising thereof it breaks the fifth and as it ariseth from anger malice or an evil mind it breaks the sixth Commandement Matth. 5.21 to 26. If it be above just cause and onely inward it is against the first degree of v. 22. If it extend to external insinuations and general reproaching it cometh under the 2. degree of that sinne and judgment but if it proceed to the least sort of particularizing of matter of a brothers discredit though it be but of his wisdome it is expressed to be of the highest sort of sins and judgment at least of that Commandement yet Jam. 4.11 12. expresseth it to be a reproaching and censuring of the Word of God it self and an usurpation of Gods Law-giving Supremacy and an opposition against God that is alone able to save and to destroy and thereupon thundereth against this reproacher with Who art thou that judgest another brother which last word is expressed v. 11. and sheweth the true nature and high degree of this sinne of reproaching without it the other two parallel places of Matth. 5.21 and 18.15 were not its true parallels and without this peculiar institutedness or instituted peculiarity of this privacy in present consideration the other two would seem somewhat harsh In brief mark the holy institutedness of this sin-hiding or rather sin-healing privacy Mat. 18.15 the holy estate of a brother in all three places the holy nature of the Law Jam. 4. and of Christianity Matth. 5. and the oppositness of Antichristianity to all three even in falsness of institution against the Gospel and in evilness of order against the moral Law and of nature generate and regenerate against the first and second Adam and their Posterity and you shall therein see the heavenly vertue of this privacy and hellish vility of its privative in dealing with our brothers sins even that the former is an healing and the latter an helling of our brother and his
all other pretended divine Worship which is not commanded by it 2. Wherefore from all these grounds I infer the same dehoâ—tation from your yeilding to conformity with any other divine Worship whereto the worldly worshippers wil wo and force you by all means they can but enforce ye your selves so much the more unto that transformedness from formality with it which our new-man-hood and renewedness of our minde exact of us even to appropriate our divine service to him only as we have done our Sonship in which peculiaring our selves in estate and service unto Christ he will bless us with the approbation of Gods peculiar will the originall and proper cause of those his Mercies and Graces as good to us and of these his services as acceptable to him wherein is the perfect Cyclopedia of Divinity and Religion obebedience whereto is better then any matter of worship and distinct boundedness whereby is better then the fattest Devotion to worship 1 Sam. 15.22 3. Wherefore as an Apostle of Christ by his peculiar gracious authority given to me for this end I charge the conscience of every one among you to fear and flee all arrogancy and overweeningness both in the matter and order of Divine Worship least ye transgress the rule and bounds thereof whereto ye are bound by God in all attentness and intentness of minde in the practise whereof therefore manifest your sound mindedness in each of your apportioning your doing the works and receiving the priviledges of Faith according to Gods apportioning them unto you as and because you are his faithfull ones united to him by faith and communicating with him in all the fruits and benefits of Faith especially in these of his Word-worship which are as good to us acceptable to him and perfect in themselves in the exactness of their matter and distinctness of order in their particulars as I have preparatively insinuated hitherto in the generall 4. For that whole and distinct Divine Worship is now instituted after the pattern of a City or a Body Politique with its City-States Members Officers and their works which are good for the Members thereof acceptable to the King who instituted them and exact in themselves For as we have many Members in one of those and in all naturall Bodies and every of these Members hath its peculiar function or practise 5. So is it in the Church and its Church-estates and works wherein though personally we be many severall Christians yet by an incorporating covenant to be a Church according to Christs institution we become one Body and each becomes others Members of the same bone and flesh for each others benefit practising his peculiar Function 6. Wherefore we having these enrighting and instrumentall Priviledges added to the said Mercies of God by Faith as son-like Portions distinct according to Gods peculiar grace distributing to every one as he pleaseth how should we not observe this unity of our Church-Estate and its variety of Membrall and Ministeriall Estates and their apportioned Functions and Rites and bound our selves to and within them according to that apportionment of God whether it be the enrighting state the Instrumentall or Medial work and enabling power of Prophesie which ought to have a generall eye to these things 7. Or a Ministeriall estate work and ability within which we are especially and peculiarly to bound our selves whether it be the Office of a Teacher within the function work and charge of teaching with all aptness and ability to teach to the information of the Church 8. Or of the Exhorter or Comforter within Exhortation to the Conformation and Reformation thereof with all serious sincerity according to his charge function and work of Exhortation Or of the Distributer within distribution with simple singleness of heart according to his Office to the relief of the necessities of the Church Or the Ruler within his Ruling-office and the charge and work thereof with all diligence therein Or the Pittyer Widow woman-Deacon or Mercy-shewer within that Office for the health and personall conservation of the Church with all personall cheerfulnesse even within all five Offices as Deputies in them to Christ as Prophet Priest Provider King and Preserver of his Churches Ministeriall and in them more evidently and eminently of his mysticall than without and before their constitution and also as good disposers of the manifold correspondent graces of that Spirit given to benefit the Church and lastly as Fellow-Members thereof imploying your distinct gifts and graces natural and spiritual to the benefit thereof according to the needs of the understandings hearts estates conversations and healths of every Member thereof and then you shal experimentally prove to your own and your brethrens consciences that these particulars of his Divine Word-Worship are that Divine will of God which I have said to be good to you acceptable to himself and perfect in themselves yea and perfecting Divine Communion between God and his Saints in the highest measure upon earth and nearest to heaven and directlyest and powerfullyest leading thereto The Analysis of these eight Verses follows ss First an Analysis of the eight Verses then also follows a draught of the matter per modum geneseos as the nature of the matter falls from the generals into its particulars the which to make them more portable and for some other reasons not requisite to be here rendred are published as followeth The Analysis or right distribution of these eight first Verses of the 12. to the Romans Gods instituted Worship is herein ¶ 1 Prescribed * 1 In the general †1 Positively 1 Impetrantly â— 1 Of our †1 Whole persons 1 Natural 1 Material your bodies ver 1. literally 2 Formal i. e. our souls ibid. by synecdoche of the part 1 Most backward and therefore all the rest a majori 2 Most pertinent in this case of outward Worshipping God before men i. e. The Body or material part 1 The vessel wherein the soul is to be presented to God and to present it self and its body and so the whole man as Gods peculiar service for his own table holy as informed by the word living as inspired by the spirit acceptable as required of himselfe as our Father and original Creator and correspondent Preserver 2 Circle 1 Whereby it is circumscribed 2 Whereto it is confined in all Gods Church-services to the visible manifestation of its self in them 2 Spirituall 1 Material i. e. our created nature v. 1. your bodies as above 2 Formal .i. e. our regenerate nature and renewed minds v. 2. but be ye transformed in the renewing of your minds †◠Distinct good things * 1 Personal †1 Mental 1 Intellectual all informing and informable faculties v. 6. whether Prophesie and v. 7. within teaching the Teacher 2 Animal of all our exhorting and exhortable faculties v. 6. Prophesie v. 8. the exhorter within exhortation * 2 Corporal 1 General our whole conversation 1 Active â— Passive v. 8. the ruler within ruling therefore also
Religion Heb. 6.2 The Doctrine of Baptismes and the former subjective in the fourth foundation and next words and of imposition of hands as also their commandedness is in both their relation to the two first Principles v. 1. of repentance from dead works and faith towards God and their commendedness in the two last v. 2. and of the Resurrection from the dead and eternall Iudgement It being the excellent course of the Holy Ghost in notifying things capitally to set the most noted adjunct of the particular intended to be set synecdochecally for the generall head of the thing notifiable it being the briefest plainest readiest and certainest course and freest from the corruptions incident to diversity of Ages Nations and Languages and cavills of the Heretical opposites For Baptism is the first necessariest and notedest seal and adjunctive solemnizing rite as imposition of hands is the subjective and rites being the most and imposition of hands meere notifying as Moses Gen. 1.3 intending to mention Gods creating fire notifieth it by Light as by its most evident and eminent quality and most obvious to the most but this place abruptly * 2 Rational or respective 1 Internally to themselves and their proper relatives viz. the respect of the Subjectives as such to their adjuncts and of the adjunctives to their subjects as so bounded and charged by God v. 3. as God hath apportioned to every one the portion of faith and v. 4. in setting a body members and works and particular Ordinances within the confines whereof we are to serve God and out selves by observing their contents otherwise it is desolation perdition abaddon 2 Externally to their colaterals and remote linealls from both which we are disbounded by the consequence of the same places especially v. 6. according to the proportion of faith that is walking servant-like in their confined stint and not disproportionally to their sonlike portion as transgressing the station and circuits thereof as the Angels did Iude 6. for which Antichristianism is called Babylon and Babel i. e. confusion as breaking the disboundings in Gods Worship as it is for adding to it stiled that abomination Mat. 24.15 with Dan. 11.31 Rev. 17.5 and Man of Sin viz. from breaking Gods band and bounds 2 Thess 2.3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 1 Ioh. 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for sinne is a band-breaker or bound-breaker and Lex and Religio are a band and rebinding or confining and stinting of Gods servants especially of his instituted or statuted Worshippers over which to step is superstition or supra station Iude. 6. and also for his destroying each of the stinted matter or order named Abaddon Apollyon that desolation son of perdition c. This I have shewn in the Text Metaphrase and Analysis of v. 3. and in the distinctness and stintedness of each state and work to be the scope of the Holy Ghost and of the Apostolick Emphatical charge v. 3. so jealous is God and ought we to be in this his marriage band bound and bed that he useth no active word much provoking or emphatical in all the five last Verses of the capital matter of his Divine Worship but onely restrictive and many wayes bounding terms and phrases for this distinctness sake Hitherto of the body or external part of Gods Worship and not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it is natural proper and simple existence Now of its soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scope and life thereof †2 Internal or Theorical X 1 Lineal Y 1 Previal or respective a priore Z 1 Positive 1 Causal 1 Internal 1 Material 1 Of the Church viz. visible Saints and faithful in each others judgment v. 1. Brethren v. 3. portion of faith 2 Of its estates of its Ministery Saints graced and gifted for that end v. 3. as God hath apportioned to every one the portion c. v. 6. distinct 3 Of their functions moral teaching exhorting ruling distributing tending the sick natural bread wine water and actions of breaking powring giving dipping and set words of consecration 4 Of the membral states thereof viz. hearing with understanding and tractableness submission taking eating going into water 2 Formal as 1 True Worship so all the institutions external as of the word are the form of that ens verum unum â—onum and the particulars thereof its integra 2 Ecclesiastica so a corporation its estates and their works is its form v. 4 5.6 we v. 5. so we c. for the Church is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 basis the estates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 order and their works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vigour their administration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effect perfected 2 External the efficient 1 Supreme 1 Simple God the Father willing them v. 1. to God v. 2. of God v. 3. as God v. 6. of God 1 Commanding v. 1. holy v. 2. perfect will v. 3. I charge 2 Commending v. 1. by the mercies acceptable v. 3. good v. 3. Portion of faith v. 5. every one each others members So 1 Cor. 12.6 diversity of operations but the same God who worketh all in all things 2 To us 1 Ordering estating and enriching Christ v 5. in Christ as instituter and founder of its authority to 1 Be Gods Worship v. 1. to God even the Word Worship with v. 5. in Christ so in the same 1 Cor. 12.5 ministrations but the same Lord 2 Do as his Church-Ministry Ministrations Members viz. Rom. 12.7 8 with 1 Cor. 12. v. 4 5. 2 Acting gifting enabling the holy Ghost v. 1. living v. 2. be ye transformed in the renewing c. v. 6. gifts distinct according to the grace of God so in that place 1 Cor. 12.4 gifts but the same spirit 2 Mediate 1 Active viz. the Apostle v. 3. I 2 Declaring viz. the word v. 1. of the word 2 Subjective b 1 Universal As an unum with its particulars As a genus with its species Id est Gods prescribing his Divine Worship in the generall and its particulars as the subject of our active service of him in generall Devotion to him as willing it by his majestick and prerogative will v. 2. perfect will of God with particular and distinct discerning of speciall Order therein by Christ v. 5. in Christ b 2 Particular as an 1 Whole with its parts 2 Integrum with its members 1 Gods prescribing his existent worship consisting of a subjective totum with its adjunctive parts i. e. Paradise Noahs Ark Abrahams Family Moses Tabernacle Solomons Temple with their appendant things Rites and actions v. 1. sacrifice synecdochically for the whole legall or precedent worship and all its particulars 2 Gods instituting the present Evangelical Church and its Adjuncts as an integrum with its integrall members and their faculties proper and common and their actions v. 4 5. to the 8. Note These subjective respects I call internall worship as transient from God towards us and we do accordingly internally
of the grapes of anothers vineyard yet not residently exportingly or beyond the present necessity nor in a pretended journey or occasion these Functions as apportioning are farther to be distinctly paralelled with their Offices on the one side and their abilities on the other being qualified internally and externally also effectuated in their end but it is best first to annex the three last particulars ¶ Qualifying * Internally In common and toward God in whom they all are one viz. the grace of acknowledging God as the gracious giver of them and faith v. 6. wise holy and loving giver of them unto the faithfull as such v. 3 6. portion of faith v. 4 5. we and so by the consequences which faith is to make upon both God is again to be acknowledged and depended on as the future blesser and so maker of them effectual and also as the gracious accepter of his Saints worship therein and the glorious end of that faith the faithfull his instituted and their exercised worship and of the fruits and consequences of them all * Externally peculiarly and toward Christians and their five-fold respects viz. of their understanding and its knowledge heart and its wisdom the honesty of their actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3.13 the competencie of their estate of the health of their body and also toward the managing of the five Functions of Teaching Exhorting Distributing Ruling and Pittying for their benefitting in those five respects Now though they be expressed only as answering to the three last respects viz. in simplicity in diligence and in cheerfulness yet the like is to be supplyed in the two first in understanding and wisdom as the three latter confining Functions were by the pattern and course of the two first that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.10 the divers kinded or manifold wisdom of God may be acknowledged in the penning of the Scripture and of this place in particular yea in speciall in contriving so much matter intelligibly into so few words as in any other place except the Decalogue the Lords Prayer and very few other neither is the reason to be neglected which seemeth to me much to be intended why in the appropriating part of the Functions only the two first are expressed and the rest are left to be supposed and supplyed but in their animating or ensouling part on the contrary viz. because the Teacher and Exhorter are to be men of great knowledge wisdom and dexterity in using them and so are to be supposed of speciall understanding courage affections and other personall gifts and so are rather to be bounded then spurred as on the other side the other three are to be told that their Offices are parts of Gods worship and so have not onely a body but especially require the gifts of freeness of Spirit diligence of Action and cheerfulness of Affection which is left to the other two to apply to themselves in their peculiar actuating qualities the dividing the word aright being instant therein not excluding the common respect of all to each nor their remembrance that their Offices Functions Powers and Objects have also externall parts for their moderating toward them all and themselves e Remote i. e. the effects of the whole instituted worship of God and every part thereof ordered and exercised as is said this is intimated in the whole as it is Gods worship which as it principally respecteth Gods glory so secundarily mans good yea it is his chief yea whole and only good Eccles 12.13 and the wise i. e. the religious is wise for himself i. e. chuseth the true happiness and expressed v. 2. in the good will of God v. 3. and 6. in grace and faith v. 5. in one body in Christ and v. 7.8 in all the five Offices Functions and Powers except we wil suppose them idle or fruitless so cross Gods main end in them 1 Cor. 12.7 whereby especially the five good effects properly answering to them all must be understood viz. Knowledge Wisdom Sufficiencie Honesty or Well-esteemed walking and Health these are indeed remote from the nature and body of instituted worship and the last respect thereof in order and time but not the last nor least in Gods intention for his glory and ours and therefore not in dignity like David in respect of his Fathers house the remotest last and least yet in Gods and true account the holy and happy King both of it and Gods whole Kingdom of heaven and earth It is yet requisite that I dispose the Heads of this matter more summarily thus Rom. 12.1 to 8. and as Expounded in its v. 4 5. and 1 Cor. 12.4 to 30. The absolute sender operater and object is God v. 2. that will of God it describeth the real distinct matter prescribeth the zealous and jealous practise of Gods speciall worship as existing 1. of God viz. Christ as Mediator 2. To us the Word 3. By God Christ as sent v. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that VVord worship of God v. 5. in Christ 4. By men the Apostles v. 3. for by the grace i. e. the Apostleship that is given me I charge every one that is among you that c. 1. Instituting as orderer intitler and inabler v. 3. as God hath measured 2. Instituted as 1. One whole subjective and incorporated viz. the Congregation v. 4 5. one body 2. Divers parts adjuncts and in membered answering to the three instituting respects of God viz. as Inabler immediately or mediately viz. o 1. Powers inabling unto and in 1. The being of Faith and Grace v. 3.6 Portion of faith grace personall Functions v. 6. whether it be prophesie 2. The receiving of one of the Church-Offices the doing the common Church-works in their matter manner end Entitler to the worthiness or capableness possession and execution of all things ecclesiastical according to the Offices measured in their 1. Intent and Essential respect as means of Gods being worshipped by us v. 1. that your word worship of God acceptable and v. 2. conveying of Christ and all that is his to us v. 2. that good will of God 2 Extent toward each other viz. exactly distinct in kinde 1 In words affirmatively v. 6. divers Negatively v. 4. not one Function v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 3. be not overwise 2 In matter 1 Root and generalls v. 1 2 3 6. 2 Branches and Particulars v. 6 7 8. viz. the Church-Ordinances as apportioned unto them into five distinct portions proper Functions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 4 6. with Ioh. 17.4 i. e. given or peculiar works or heads unto severall Members of the Church qualified with fit gifts called thereto by the Church and thereby making them the Church Officers or Ministers ordered unto a manner of exeqution best befitting them viz. Prophet The Teacher reaching understandingly the mind by knowledge Priest The Exhorter exhorting wisely the heart by wisdom Provide◠The Distributer distributing with simplicity the estate
Burroughs for Badgers through magnifying their Office that the epitome of the Hierarchy which they form within the church will acknowledg kindred with its mother Iezebel yea and by degrees with its Grand-father Ethbaal too and so also open the door of community between us and them by the same reason further prosecuted and spirit further inflamed as the opinion book and course of Mr. Iohnson and many with him have lamentably experimented even unto the eminent and imminent fear of the ruin of a special Church if we should come to sift the differences I doubt we should not finde them so great as would give security of better success outward than hath that Church or inward than the Hierarchy though the goodness of the present order and matter would delay it may be long this infection from raging at least till the iron of civil single double and treble crowned authority id est Classical Synodical and National Courts and Courses made Ecclesiastical be added unto the former clay and both adde strength to the rotten legs of Antichrist but I not daring to open my mouth freely in this bad aire will reserve my breath for better use Thirdly and specially If that course which is obtruded on this place should be alike observed in all places of the like reason as it must be we might prove strange matters yea what not I could prove that Samuel prayed for and brought out water of the Rock in the wilderness at least that God spake there unto him out of the cloudie pillar and punished his Idolatry foure hundred yeers before he was born out of Psal 99.7 8. and out of 1 Tim. 5.4 that Aunts are Parents that all the Elders and Brethren of the Church of Ierusalem spake by the infallible and immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost and by absolute and immediate authority from Christ gave Laws Decrees and burdening conscience binding and necessited Prohibitions to the Churches of Antiochia Syria and Silicia and by consequence to all the Churches of the Gentiles from Acts 15. with cap. 16.4 21.25 and other innumerable absurdities and falsities out of 1 Cor. chap. 1. v. 1. concerning Sosthenes in 2 Cor. 1. chap. v. 1. and also Phil. and Col. ch 1. v. 1. of Timotheus in 1 Thess ch 1. v. 1. and 2 Thess of Silvanus and Timotheus and more almost in every Epistle should I descend to particulars I should be intollerably because needlesly tedious it being obvious to every one that any thing might be proved out of any thing if that course might be allowed besides it would pervert all the other places of Scriptures which begin with generalls and proceed to particularize them which are innumerable and indeed would destroy all analysing of them which is not exprest and then it would be needless yea there might then be proved out of one place thereof consisting but of seven verses viz. Heb. 11.32 to 38. many sevens of falsehoods absurdities and what not that should make men cease from necessiting this Exposition of 1 Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. Heb. 11.32 to 38. a whole heap of lying wonders viz. that Baruch subdued Kingdomes and did a dozen great works at least more then he did that Sampson did so that Iephtha did so also that Dnvid Samuel and all the Prophets did so also and that much more clearly and strongly then any can out of 1 Tim. 3. that the Exhorter may excommunicate or do any proper ruling act by the same reason yea expresly it that reason be good that all adjuncts that are annexed unto two three or more joint subjects must be verified in every one of them therfore I leave it for bad holding every adjunct to be sorted to its proper subject by the rules of Nature the word in other places that intend that peculiarizing shew us the same by better means referring these objected unto Rom. 12.7 8. 1 Cor. 12. 1 Tim. 5. for their distinctness And again Rom. 12. and 1 Cor. 12. 1 Tim. 5. unto 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. and the like for their compleating and full exemplification in matter of practise Fourthly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein is the whole force of this Argument is by all the holders of the third Opinion applyed only to that Teaching in the ruler which is necessary for the discharge of his Office and work of Ruling which nothing proveth the undistinctness in question nor more then I have oft granted in the case of the Exhorters Teaching as necessarily subordinate to his office and also grant in this case with the provisoes there mentioned Fifthly The question is not properly about this Teaching simply or subordinately considered but as Ecclesiasticall or Ministeriall and such as carrieth with it as an Appendex to the administration of the Sacraments to signifie seale and convey the thing taught unto the persons ministerially taught but such teaching is also confessed by them not here to be intended nor within the Rulers Office Sixtly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is apt prone and ready to Teach signifying rather the goodness and grace of the heart then the power and gift of Teaching to be requisite in the Ruler and no more can be inforced out of that word on which the whole strength of all the three opposite Opinions doth consist yet I will grant a Propheticall gift of teaching to be requisite in the Ruler partly because it is a disparagement to his Office and Exercise thereof to be inferior to the Prophets therein who have no Office at all partly because it wil be a discouragement unto the Prophets to have their inferiors in gifts of Ecclesiasticall respect to be advanced above them in Ecclesiasticall Office and partly because the Speakers to the Edification Exhortation and Comfort of the Church do best of all the Members deserve to be honoured by the Church manifest their deserts fitness and worthiness of the same yea in evident and eminent likelihood and humane judgement they are the most fit for any overseeing Office which is all that the scope of the place or any thing material therein doth inforce yea intimate in any of the many other particulars Seventhly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 5. all the other particulars but one or two do evidently import only qualifications with grace in the heart requisite in the overseers of the Church and not common gifts which only distinguish the Ministries and Funnctions of the Church which proveth that this intendeth not the constituting and distinguishing them as Rom. 12. doth essentially formally and properly as our case requireth but onely the informing the Chusers and Ordainers of such Officers what qualities are requisite for their well being and the acceptableness and efficacie of their Office in a speciall manner above other and making them fit above others for those Offices such as are aptness and fitness to entertain strangers courtesie and having obedient and meek Children c. but to say that the want of any one of
bountifull in his Portions of Faith The 17. is from Have not members have us That Church-offices Ministeries and States are adjuncts of the Church which is first in Nature and their Root and Basis but they are not its Root nor Basis nor any way precedent either in Time Nature nor Dignity before it as such but as it consisteth of particular members over the well-being of each of which they are set but not over their being as they be Christians nor a Church And also the 18. that the Ministers are the Churches Angels and members but the Church is not the Ministers Church The 19. is from We have That all Churches are in relation to each other as equall particulars of the Church in general as each of our persons are of man in general And the 20. There is no more an Universal particular Church Head or Body of Churches than of particular men And the 21. Our persons are the original pattern of the instituted Church imitable after the strictest manner of which a Spiritual Body Politick is capable as simillimum not idem And the 22. the knowledge of the nature of the Church and Church-Estates is easie to all reasonable men iâ— if Historically believing this one place much more to Christians led by the Spirit of grace in its patterning especially if they understand by Learning or Experience the nature of a Civill Body Politick the medium simillimum to both person and Church The 23. is from and That God hath avoided confusion in our many personal members by assigning them distinct Functions The 24. is from all Members have not one Function by a Graecisme or in English phrase No Member hath the same Function or rather it is of the same words And the 25. Our Members are bounded but not bondaged counter-distinct but not opposite The 26. is from Hath That membral Functions are adjuncts to the members of the Body and so that the Membral-Estates denominate the Membral-actions and administrations but not è contra The 27. is from One or in English one and the same or the same in kind That each member of the body hath its counter-distinct Function end or use And the 28. That each member is not to be employed to all that it can do but to its distinct and proper work as the Eye to see the Ear to hear the Nose to smell the Pallate to taste but none of them to feeling though in some sense they all can nor the hands to either of the foure though in some remote consequence they serve to the same use in case of defect with unseemlyness and out of the due course of Nature The 29. is from Practice Function or Work That no member ought to be idle but active and operative The 30. is from even so v. 5. That so much expresness of Form is necessary in this matter of Gods Worship as is to make way for and confirm the Logical consequences therein i. e. that it is an exact simile between man created after Gods Image and the Church of Ordinances instituted after Christs Image And therefore all the Doctrines well arising out of the former verse and protasis in respect of the body its members and their function are to be understood as good as expressed in the Apodosis in this verse adding onely the Church instead of the Body and Ministeriall for Membrall which I for the present leave to be done i. e. The 31. to be deduced from the 24 the 32 from the 25 the 33 from the 26 the 34 from the 27 supplying the particulars from v. 7 8. i. e. the Teacher to teach the Exhorter to exhort the Distributer to distribute the Ruler to rule the shewer of mercy to shew mercy and the 35 from the 28 with the same addition and the 36. from the 29. and the 37. from the 23. The compleat parallelling of this simile is very large and seeming in its exact prosecution more formal than necessary which seemeth to have been the reason why the Holy Ghost hath left them to be deduced by firm consequence but hath not exactly parallel'd all particulars wherefore I will not be extream herein either in negligence of all that is intimated nor in exactness in what it hath left unexact in particulars yet is there some vice versa to be applyed from the Apodosis to the Protasis as the 38. from in Christ or by the institution of Christ That the created order of the members of our body with their use and natural comelyness is to be observed perpetually And the 39. That each member of the body is for the benefit of each these two are to be deduced from the two next clauses following The 40. is from in Christ That the speciall form of all instituted Worship is Christs institution And the 41. from the same in relation to the many other causes of true worship That subordinate causes exclude not nor oppose each other so that the same worship may well be called the Worship of God of the Will of God of Christ and of the Word And the 42. in relation of this distinctness counter-distinguished from the materiall parts of Gods Worship That Christ is more manifested in the distinctness than in the materials of Gods Worship The 43. is from each one anothers members That each member of the Church is for the benefit of each other member thereof And 44. Much more for the whole and 45. Neither the Church nor its members are for any one member as for its superiour but onely as for its part or their fellow-member or as for their singular Superiour deputed by the Church as an encorporated general over each particular The 44. is from each in particular In relation to one body That there is an express difference between the Church-members relation to the Church and to each other so that the 45. Ministeriall or organical members have power or rather government of over or objectively for each member but not of over or objectively for the Church as an encorporated body but onely as deputedly and Ministerially for it And so 46. No Minister can excommunicate the Church The 46. is from the same words referred to Many That the Officers diversly respect the generality of the many Members and the particularity of each member The two first respecting the generality they being charged with the work of publication and pressing the general Word of God and the three last of the five respecting each particular member as a part of the Church to which they are concredited This divers respect is expresse in the Text but the apportionment is of the divers reason of the offices insinuated The 47. is from the mutuall relation of these three words one many each That the Church as one is suprâ—am in respect of its particular members is inferiour to all the offices but as many it is of a mixt State as the greater many it hath the power of the oâ—fices and their minâ—strations toward each member i.
all the Memberships thereof and so is that desolation and as he setteth himself for and as the Church and his 128. sorts of his Church-members 24. Ministerial and 104. Monastical members as and for the members of the Church he setteth up that abomination And thirdly as he confuseth the names nature and order of the Church-members of Christ he is that Babylon the great or God of confusion For first he confoundeth the four sorts of the integral members of the Church as the Prophets Men Women and children both in taking from them all distinction of Church-power and priviledge whereby as Ecclesiastical they are distinguished from each other for by his Church-disorder no Saint of gifts of discerning spirits of edification exhortation and comfort hath more power in government or priviledge of teaching than men without them yea or women and children for they have none at all neither have men more enrighting power then women or children in telling the Church or in putting out of the obstinately wicked from among them than women and children what enabling power soever they have more than they for his Church-warden-promooting is a servility absolute of informing the Prelatical courts but not that power to tell the Church if the offendor will not repent at their private telling and not to tell if they will Neither thirdly have Prophets men or women more priviledge in any thing than children by any Church right he making them all alike of the Laity and not of the Church as for his giving the bread to men and women but not to children it is by a Ministerial or rather Magisterial munificence in the Priests and through a natural defect in the children simply and not as they cannot discern the Lords body nor eat in remembrance of Christ indeed his denying expresly the wine to all alike sheweth their Church estate and right thereby unto it to be all alike that is none at all and so he might by alike right deny them the Bread and Baptisme too but for his own sinister ends of making his Priests munificent herein and of discovering the informed in the right order of God and the avoiders of Antichristianity and of seeming to love Christianity Secondly he so also confoundeth the names nature and order of the five instrumental or ministerial members in making them all but one Priesthood for the Teacher Exhorter and Ruler of a Congregation he expresly maketh but one Priesthood and the Deacon he maketh but a diminutive servant and helper of that priesthood or a preparative thereto the Widow or Mercy-shewer he wholly excludeth and so he is that Babylon the great or great confounder of Gods Offices and Ordinances 2. He is also that abomination in setting up other Church offices than these five which onely are made divine by the Word and so also he sitteth as or for the Church in usurping its authority herein for he hath set up denal suffragan diocesan provincial patriarchal and universal Bishoâ—shâ—ps their subordinate councels commissaries Officials Archdeacons Surrogates and Registers as divinely authorized to exercise Church-authority whom yet Christ never authorized which I have shewn in a Tract of undivine Bishops and in a Confutation of their Postscriâ—ts or undivine authority for them 3. He is also that desolation both in his settâ—ng these Anachims over Christs Bishops and Deacons and not onely as simply ruling them by their Church-Monarchy as they do all called Christians but especially as making them subordinate instruments of their Magisterial tyranny both in their servile promooting to their Courts the true yea and reported breakers of their Articles repentant and impenitent promiscuously and especially in executing their Sentences though they know them unjust both in matter and also in the form of their proceedings for he hath hereby made them his Vassals Bayliffs Goalers and Executioners without any inherent power of ruling in their Offices And this though they had been of Gods creation by Church-election and under his correction But that which is worst thâ—y are of Hierarchical generation by Prelatical ordination and are under their censures even unto degradation for neglecting their traditions so that what they are can do and have in their formal estate is of through and for Antichrist for he created them into that estate by his instituted office of Bishopship and its constituting ordination thereby engaging them to use all their powers and habits internal and external to his ends and glory whereby he hath not onely destroyed their servantship of God but even made them his own servants and souldiers against Christ as King of Israel and Lord of his Temple The next part of Antichrists antithesis against Chrâ—sts instituted Worship is first his prescribing other ends to the works of the Church-members both integral and instrumental than Christ hath done even both to their saving serving souldierly and social works under which four heads all Christian duties are comprehended and indeed he maketh of these four sorts of works but one with a double end that is satisfactory to God in obedience to himself for all is works of service suffering and love he holdeth to be the prerequisite condition of our adoption sonship and spouship and so of our union with God as our heavenly Father though p operly Gods imputation of Christ and his sufferings and works unto us be the onely work preceding or prerequisite to our adoption and so therein God the Father Christ and the Holy Ghost are the onely Agents and Workers and we are meerly patients as receivers of that divine estate nature and inheritance and thereby enrighted by that estate enabled by that nature and moved by that inheritance to serve and suffer for God and for and with his sons servants and souldiers and so he is that Babylon abomination and desolation in this part also as he maketh the soul of the works of all Church-members to be satisfactory to God and services to himself whereas they are onely services and homage due to God as absolute Lord. This is not onely true of that Antichrist of Rome but of his daughters also in their secundary degree and under the name of Arminianisme whereof the Hierarchy of England is in travail that of Ireland pregnant and that of Scotland quick with child Secondly in prescribing other works rites and observances also than God hath sanctified as abstinence from Marriage and Meats to some at all times and to all at some times kneeling and many fopperies in the Lords Supper Salt cream spittle c. in Baptisme bondaged reading prayers the surplice copes and other priestly garments white clothing for the baptized churched and penitent praying before the crucifix crosse and images sackcloth and whipping c. consecrated places breathing the Holy Ghost in ordination prelatical consecration institution induction suspension anathematising with bell book and candle observation of holy-days weeks and set-times consecrating of Temples and their appurtenances of many sorts Fonts chalices Bells Holy-water Basons and
enchurched Christian or Church-member 4. Of thine i. e. of the same Church with thee in union first and properly secondly and in cases and by proportion in communion and generall state and order 5. Sinneth i. e. breaketh Gods Law or Religion whereto he hath bound him and thee 6. Vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the experimental and certain knowledge conscience and extent of patience lest he should perish by and in that sinne as above in the word BUT of 7. Thee as his brother i. e. against that Church-brotherhood i. e. to his forfeiture or less thereof and of his communion with thee therein in the Scripture phrase 1 King 2.23 against thine own life i. e. to the forfeiture and loss thereof Lev. 17.10 ב in both being the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in as transitive and so is it 2 Sam. 18.13 and so is ל also Lev. 19.16 and the connexive must answer to the scope of the place and to the transition from the subject or efficient unto its object or effect both in their order and power all which are thus well sitted then and in this case and not otherwise 8. Argue i. e. confute by argument of that sinne in the general and convince of the particular of the fact and then redargue reprove and dehort from it and then threaten Gods judgments against the obstinate and irrepentant i. e. argument and evidence by Scripture proofs in all for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with Heb. 11.1 argumentively convince and reprove but not report which is to reproach or slander or murder Levit. 18.16 with Matth. 5.21 22. these four degrees must be from the first to the last of the tryall 9. Him personally by conference or writing immediate for it is not report to nor tell others which is to reproach but argument him 10. Between i. e. Dialogue-wise or by way of conference mutual and equal but not chidingly nor beggingly 11. Thee in thy person not by Deputies 12. And him in his person not behind his back 13. Alone none other being present both for thy better and quieter proceeding in these observances without interruption and for thy manifestation of all tender love in that privacie and brotherly wisdome in preventing his being provoked to be more stout in arguing and slow in confession a farther acting and exacting of all these points and phrases and excluding all colour and excuse of whispering it much more of blazing it to any much less to many All these instituted parts of Christs discipline being actually done in a decent humane manner and with all brotherly compassion and tenderness toward him prayer for him and patience of his weakness and delay then expect the issue good or bad 14. If on the better part through Gods gracious working by his Spirit with his Gospel-Institutions son-likely exercised by thee 15. He or she for the masculine gender is indefinitly here put for both as natural in natural things and spiritual in spiritual things 16. Hears with his ears thy words in that personal communication without which all the other particulars are irregular and also with brotherly attention of mind especially with sincerity of heart acknowledging the fact and its sinfulness with true repentance and promise of amendment for all the requisite passages intervening between the preceding and succeeding things or actions are to be understood in the intervening word and the like is in connexives as above in the word Vnto especially if he hear thy words and give a satisfactory answer by proving that matter not to be sinful or that he did not sinne that objected sinne must by the same reason in the whole clause thereof be here supposed 17. Thee thou mark how in all the passages thereof immediate personal dealing on both sides is exacted by Christ and all intervening medlers on either side are excluded 18. Hast gained i. e. gotten good and purchased a spiritual and heavenly purchase even an eternal and pretious Inheritance next in nature to that of Christs getting Sonnes that are Princes in all Lands Psal 45.16 and his redeeming straying souls and converting of sinners Jam. 5.19 20. So careful ought we to be in this case of all meek instructing the differers from us with gentleness teachingness and patience and without provoking and hardening war-waging and striving 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. 19. A Brother even a Weakling or Publicane-Christian that is the greatest in the Kingdome of God and yet so prone to wander neer to losing and perishing that Christ hath instructed the stronger by this instituted order and brotherly Spirit to prevent it or regain him from that his perishing case v. 14. v. 2. and 10. the contrary Pharisaical forth-bearing Spirit and carnal Hog-herds and boysterous Bearwards are hereby discovered to be little in Gods account 20. Of thine and therefore this gain is also our own and so it is both Wisdome and Religion conjoyned and of an high and heavenly nature thus to encorporate this Gospel-discipline and to ensoul and enlive it with this brotherly spirit and practice VER 16. 21. But though all these indulgences of order spirit and practice be first in nature dignity and time to be exercised and discreet distinct and tender compassion be frequently and Jude 21 22. fervently charged upon us in this case yet when these weak ones turn wicked ones in cavelling gain-saying and stiff-necked obstinacy then Jude 23. is in season and this love and Spirit of meekness a Rod must follow For 22 23 24. If the worst come that all these and you be slighted so that he a brother in state and profession yet seeming unbrotherly in heart right and practise hear not both in humane and divine respects above-said Sec. 16. 25. Thee Having thus holyly lovingly wisely and meekly conjoyned the Gospel-Institutions Instructions and Spirit for his secret and discreditless recovery seeking with Joseph Matth. 1.19 to free him from publike censure 26. Take unto or joyn with thee yet or moe as uniting to thee and adding to thy power and testimony not as weakning his credit by meer relating his sin thy former course with him and his obstinacy against it and in his sin 27. One or two as few as may be but one if that may suffice however but two at the most an evident barring the Spirit of envy from its licentious reproaching of his brother and an eminent charging us to discharge this duty with so small help as may be rather than the sins of the Saints should be spread farther than their necessited cure exacted and an imminent judgment of the contrary disposed that is that of Cham and Canaan Doeg Shimei Diotrephes c. 2. Of the Doctrine warranted thereby here onely in the Index or sum of the Chapter especially of these six verses both in their soul and body their Soul gospel-Gospel-Spirit or scope of the Holy Ghost is compiled into this word Meek-love-mercy their body is answerable thereto both in the whole Chapter
especially in these six verses the 1. or 15. verse is of private Physicking the 3. or 17. is of publike and v. 16. is mixt of both prosecuting the former and preparing the latter which is ratified in the rest Each of these three heads have eight parts of a meer instituted Church-nature besides their three adjuncts or accessories answering to the three coverings of the Tabernacle which type the three orders about but without the Church-state and Discipline Membral Ecclesial and Civil all of Humane Institution yet relatively and objectively Ecclesiastical though not really subjectively materially formally nor efficiently the membral is warranted by 1 Cor. 6.1 to 4. and by the usefulness of association of the Rulers Deacons and Prophets for the more equal and orderly discharge of their places by the mutual agreement of the whole or greater number of them in their setting each of their turns and distinct courses The Ecclesial is warranted 2 Cor. 8.19 22 23. and by the usefulness of one Churches advice countenance and help of another And the Civil by Esa 49.23 and the Churches need of civil protection permission and help Of which 6. verses and heads now somewhat more largly and particularly Of Matth. 18.15 to 20. in the Epitome THese 6. verses are the instituted Center of the Chapter which is v. 1. expressed to be a main and distinct head of our Gospel-Religion i. e. what is the highest degree thereof which who so hath is the greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven the sum whereof contracted into one word is Meek-love-mercy the first part is commended to us and commanded v. 2. to 4. The second v. 5. to 10. in the positive v. 5. In the rest in the opposite The third v. 11. to 35. morally v. 11. to 14 institutedly v. 15. to 20. exemplarily illustrating both and the whole Chapter v. 21. to 35. All the three vertues are inlarded in each of the three parts which shall first be shewn in this our middle and instituted part of the third part and of the whole Chapter Meekness is laid therein as the fountain and foundation of the whole point of instituted Discipline v. 15. First in reflexe on v. 14. One of these little ones and therein on the precedent part of the Chapter for v. 15. is connected to it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if yet if now if Secondly in sociableness in the word Brother Thirdly in fairness of means in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 argument him or convince him by reasoning not chide command warn admonish threaten him Fourthly in privacy in these words between thee and him alone to prevent vain-glory ostentation and applause the opposites to meekness Fifthly in easiness to be satisfied in these words If he hear thee thou hast won thy Brother i. e. thou hast done what thou meantest Sixthly in readiness to forgive in those words compared with v. 21. which was Peters Exposition of them Seventhly in relation to the other two ensuing Love and Mercy 1. Love is set as the body of the building respecting the said foundation as tending to save and do good to the person toward whom we shew meekness v. 11. 2. As freeing him from evil and perdition v. 14. Five other proofs that the Spirit of Love must inform this body of instituted Church-Discipline are in the five middlemost proofs that meekness must also so do 3. Mercy is of the same nature with Love in seeking the good of our brother onely love doth it in the positive and mercy in the privative both which without meekness are selfness self-authority self-seeking self-shewing c. but nothing of through nor for Christ or his Spirit of Grace or Faith which worketh by love and mercy and instructeth others in meekness whose good it seeketh 2 Tim. 2.25 and whom it seeth of through and for God v. 26. All these are yet more summarily contracted in this one single word Love supposed with its two infallible proofs that it is divine the former à priori in the face by which the Brittain Christians tryed English Austin to be an Antichristian Prelate and no Minister of Christ before he or they had spoken one word together The latter à posteriori for if mercy follow not our loving endeavours they are proved to be a Devourers pretences to be devoured by God in the latter part of our Chapter v. 21. to 35. and his repentance is there proved false and hypocritical This love so qualifyed is the soul of our six verses and the whole Chapter without which the body of Church-worship is dead and but a carkase in Christs account yet without the said body all publike divine worship is familisme or phantasie yea if both be not of the Word it is of the World and Antichristian Now therefore let us conjoyn to this Gospel soul its Gospel body of instituted discipline which is an active part of Divine Worship or Church-order for the government of its members It hath also three parts answering to the three said parts of its soul the first is formed v. 15. the second v. 16. the third v. 17. Of these three in that order 1. The first hath eight parts the first is a Church-members or Brothers sinning a sinne forfeiting that his membership or brotherhood If thy Brother sinne against thee not against thy person but thy brotherhood i. e. against Faith a good Conscience or Church-order 2. Another brothers knowing thereof experimentally not conjecturally or by credible testimony from without or the not Church-estated for a brother is bound by this place personally to sue his said brother with all privacy and so he sinneth in telling another thereof and that other in receiving it more in prosecuting it for he usurpeth that his brothers place intrudeth himself into his work and breaketh Christs instituted Church-Discipline and the second Commandement and so committeth abomination and idolatry and moveth not that his brother to observe the said Discipline and Commandement but fartherth him and partaketh with him in his committing desolation and deserting that Order Discipline and Commandment 3. The latters arguing and redarguing the former thereof personally not by Deputies much less may he tell any other thereof it tending to his reproach and that others partaking therein 4. The secrecy of that his convincing and converting his brother between him and thee alone besides the words argument him and thy Brother 5. Moral carriage of body and civil behaviour of actions for the loving recovery healing and winning of that sinning brother v. 14 and 15. to win him this is a general to all three and 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and according to order i. e. to civil order for Church-order is institutable onely by Christ and it is Antichristianisme to erect any or to respect that Idol 6. The success or effect of all those in the former or sinning brother which is either repentance if he hear thee or its contrary i. e. obstinacy but if he hear thee not
what spirit dare any member of such a Church do it yea and execute that sentence of his own to his using him as an Heathen Publicane or that wicked man 1 Cor. 5.13 2ly every night-professour yea civil man in England or other Christian Common-wealth or State may with Nicodemus say the same words for before due proof by competent Witnesses and the Defendants full answer may no sentence be pronounced in any matter whether criminal or actional nor before that sentence dareth any Sheriff much less any other do any thing as to a condemned man and yet will any Christian person Officer or Church make Christs Gospel discipline worse than the civil discipline of the Common-wealths of the world which yet they do when they upon a rumour or other backbiting receive matter of spiritual censure both as an accusation and testimony yea and forthwith sentenceth and also executeth that censure in his affections and actions and expecteth yea exacteth of others so to do upon his telling them thereof This in a person or officer is personal or official Antichristianism and if all the members of a Church so do it is Church-Antichristianism though the state be true before and after it yea though any many or all those Christian persons endeavour a tryal upon that rumorous fame and testimony yet their course is Antichristian and a part of that mystery of Iniquity whereby that state or man of Iniquity by his Spirit of Antichristianism wrought himself from an embryo in Pauls time 2 Thes 2.3 to 8. unto full complement afterward which now is in his raging death-pangs with Gods harping-iron in his belly with whom also all the sparks of his Spirit do therefore blaze as in their last light 3ly the very professed Hierarchical Courts have a pretending and seeming face of the said Mosaical and Civil Courts and censure none for a rumours accusation untill they hear the Accuseds answer and use a form of tryal of the cause more like the other than the said personal Spirits of Antichrist whom this Text properly concerneth and chargeth to sue and pursue his brother unto the Church censure upon personal knowledge of his corrupting sin but not to take a third brothers right charge and work from him nor to partake in his omission thereof nor his reproachful diverting from it to play the Informer to this censorious spirit of Antichrist for why else doth he reproach but to provoke to censure where he findeth a by-shop open thus to receive censure and butcher 'T is usurpation and folly to do his work and sinne not to charge him to do it himself Do all these Courts and courses hear the accused and know what he hath done and dareth any member of a Church of Christ make himself worse then Mosaical than civil than uncivil Courts Dareth he also make that Church a partaker and guilty of that seven-headed sinne yet let not that Church dare to partake with not permit it much less to practice and ratifie it Indeed this Christian cure is properly and personally commended and commanded to every Church-brother that duly knoweth of the disease personally and his telling any other of the particular is a reproach and backbite for all pretended consultings may and must be in the general and so what is said thereabout is true yet if credible Witnesses out of a Church-estate give to a brother certain testimony of his brothers conscionless sinne he ought to joyn his enrighting Church-estate which those Witnesses want unto their pregnant matter to discover and destroy that sinne that will otherwise destroy that brotherhood or church and if it be without exception he ought to proceed thereupon First to relate to the brother what they offer to testifie and if he deny it not or by his tutchiness dejectedness scornfulness or other confirmations make him confident that his brother is guilty then he ought to proceed according to Gods rule Mat. 18.15 to 20. onely by the Witnesses v. 16. all things are to be fitted to the conveniency of the Church by their personal knowledge of all requisites if the Witnesses from without be not fit to be brought in person into the Church but to do so upon a brothers report or rather reproach is as is above said and much worse incurring the censure of Jam. 4.11 12. 1 Pet. 4.15 Lev. 19.16 17. Prov. 18.8 26.20 21 22. Rom. 16.17 Jude 19. Esa 65.5 Matth. 24.51 yea of 2 Thes 2.4 in his sitting or estating himself as the Church like that Antichrist and of 3 Joh. 11. in his usurping over the Church and the Scripture with Diotrephes who upon his own suspicion that John meant him in his former Epistles rayled against him with malicious words and cast his friends out of the Church but more of this in the sixt particular The fourth addeth to the first three their Gospel-soul meek-love-mercy Saint-healing and Soul-saving Spirit v. 14. in the end of this v. 15. and the fifth addeth to all four their instituted meanes and effective power viz. An argumenting convincing reproof for his said sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ill rendred by tell him for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Argument Syllogism or evident proof which applyed to the said sin importeth a conviction thereof and its consequent reproof and charge of repentance compared also with if he bear which therefore importeth an answerable repentance all which necessite and dignifie the search of the scope of the place of Scripture in hand This enforceth a preceding proof of his said sin before our reproof and of that before our requiring his repentance and of that before our judging him irrepentant and of that before our taking one or two Witnesses much more before our telling it to any other upon any pretence much more before our telling the Church thereof and its tryall and condemnation or commendation much more before our barring him of Church-Communion but most of all before our using him as an enemy 2 Thes 3.15 and barring him of natural matrimonial or civil good things which are never to follow Christs Church censures but are fit onely for Antichrists who in state courses spirit and curses is flat opposite to Christ his Church-state Discipline Spirit and Censures which all tend to the saving of souls at the day of our Lord Jesus which is our fourth point by his Gospel-Institutions which is our fifth but because of Antichrists oppositness in them all God himself sirnameth him Abaddon and Apollyon that is Destroyer Rev. 9. which 5. Discipline or mystery of iniquity was in working in Pauls dayes 2 Thes 2.7 by that 4. Spirit of Antichrist that was in Johns days 1 Joh. 4.3 to the eminent estating of that Antichrist in Constantines days and his evident tyrannizing in Constantines days and to this time none of which four are yet ceased not the two first in true Christian Churches the latter which is our fourth point is practised in the Spirit of reproach in the
sins sores and sorrows and that the former is that submissive and serviceable two-hornedness of the Lamb Rev. 13.1 and of his Lambs or Babes in this whole Chapter and the peculiar Spirit of Christ his Gospel and Gospellers throughout his Word and the latter that deposing and opposing two hornedness of the Beast ibid. of that Man of Sinne 2 Thes 2.3 4. of that abominable or vile one Dan. 11.21 31 36. and 12.11 The 7. and 8. Ingredient having been handled before are by our Author here omitted FINIS A DISCOVERY OF Adams three-fold Estate in Paradise viz. Moral Legal and Evangelical handled in three several Methods To which a fourth i. e. his Heavenly Estate as an inseparable relative and as the Complement of the former three is added Wherein also is shewn that Gods Dispensations have been under the said four-fold relation to his Posterity ever since Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Gal. 3.24 Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith See Rom. 2.14 15. LONDON Printed for Henry Eversden at the Sign of the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard 1656. A Discovery of Adams three-fold Estate in Paradise viz. Moral Legal and Evangelical c. The first Method GOD created man perfect in nature perfect in goodness which enabled him to a perfect obedience to the Will of God and with him in him also created The Instinctive Natural Morall Law and did not impose any absolute command upon him but what in the Creation he had adopted him for and given him ability to perform Else had man been made an imperfect Creature which God being a perfect Entity and infinite and absolute in perfection could not do and indeed it had been against his Justice Wisdome and Love to create the whole Species of mankind to condemnation in and by the principles of Nature and Moral unadequateness of his instinctive and imposed Law and innate vertue For the Instinctive it needed but serious consideration it being so immediate to Gods original creative act in his Rationals and Legals in whom he had immediatly created the Moral Law and the institutive Laws were imposable by a Natural Right though more remote yet they being proper adjuncts to Gods instinctive are parts of the moral Law i. e. of the second Commandement even in the particulars Therefore God imposed the whole Paradisal worship on man by his creative right which see in the ensuing Table of Institutions This done all Gods natural creation was compleat in the addition of Gods natural cultives to his instinctive Law but immediatly therewith did God also add thereto an heavenly typicalness as a divine Sign of Heaven and all its particulars attainable by mans fulfilling them as such by his innate vertue which as the case then stood was impossible The Natural Law was created with man which appears by Cains knowledge of his murther to be a sinne as is manifest by his denyal of his brother before the Law published Gen. 4. also Rom. 1.19 20. chiefly Chap. 2.14 15. Yet was not this a prohibition with a penalty nor an imposed Law or institution but only proposed to man to accept or refuse and if accepted then to be as a thing conditional for life upon performance or death in case of fayling as in Gen. 2.17 appeares For in the day thou eatest thereof thou shall surely dye And in the 3. Chap. and the 3. ver Ye shall not eat of the fruit of the Tree in the middest of the Garden neither shall ye touch it lest ye dye As if God had said I do not impose this as a command but onely propose it with this condition That if thou do'st undertake to keep it as a Law and not perform it thou shalt dye but performing it thou shalt live Otherwise had God been the Author of his Fall in giving him a Law beyond his instinctive power of obedience Yet it being accepted so it became a Law of works unto man for his more then created life in heaven or death in hell And more particularly The Tree of Life was planted by the Tree of Knowledge implying life was the reward to the performance of this Law and death the penalty as before expresly denounced for the breach Josh 24.19 20 to 28. is a resemblance of this Covenant Thus these were Signs and Seals Sacramental as Livery and Seisin of a Spiritual Estate the one of Heaven the other of Hell Proofs of the Paradise Law of Works or first Covenant First from the relation between Heaven and Earth Gen. 1.1 Secondly from its relation to the Gospel Gal. 3.21 c. Thirdly from the institution of Paradise its Ruling and Sacramenting Ministry and Ministrations typically relating unto Heaven by Gods Institution expressed in the Tree of Life i. e. Heavenly and Eternal Life Fourthly Rom. 5.14 Fifthly 1 Cor. 15.45 c. Sixthly 2 Pet. 1.4 Divine Nature Seventhly 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Eighthly Rom. 8.3 with Gal. 3.22 23 24. Ninthly Phil. 2.6 to 11. with Act. 4.12 The first hereof viz. the tree of life first in time nature and dignity entred man into a heavenly state But because it was conditional and gave not an answerable heavenly nature which the Gospel Sacraments do Adam was mistaken in his conceited power of obedience For Adam not being as yet acquainted with Faith and the Gospel righteousness that being not mentioned till the end of that day which was after the fall but onely looking upon his own facile native obedience of the Moral Law and not observing the dative and instinctive power cocreated to the performance thereof and of that onely thought he could as well by his own ability do all that could be proposed although in stative righteousness as he had done all that was imposed And therefore not doubting his power of obedience nor fearing the penalty nor any prejudice that could be due to the failing part or non-performance thereof and looking upon the promised prize of a hevenly life as clear gains did accept of this proposition and out of his own abilities without desire of assistance of heavenly power though in a heavenly work did undertake the keeping and observance of this Law as indeed there was no reason in nature to the contrary The first Covenant Gen. 2. in the Tree of Life is enlarged in Lev. 18.5 But the Angels of mentity of light thence JOB calls them Luciferians and order conceiving man coming into the son-like state and thereby in a condition of greater excellence and of priority and of precedency of them did envy him and that their conceited happiness of his which ambition pride and envy spurr'd them to an immediate practice for the ruine and downfall of man for they being servants
God and a preserver of Christians by Divine Institution and therefore precisely commanded and commended by Christ both in the affirmative as our portion to use it as his sanctified means of his worship and our benefit and in the negative forbidding as more than his Divine Worship and our Portion all other courses means and manner of exercising this first part of Divine Church-government and means of winning our straying brother lest he perish by those rotting sins which are the onely matter immediatly moving us to those meanes and manner for their purging away and healing our sick brother There are therefore 8. main and plainly distinct parts of this verse 15. 1. The first is the state and encorporate order which enrighteth both Agent and Patient to the end means and manner prescribed viz. a Church-membership In these words thy brother against thee with v. 17. tell the Church 2. The second is the case wherein that end mean and manner are to be exercised viz. in the case of the Patients corrupting sin endangering his brotherhood in sin against thee 3. The third is the Agents personal knowledge of that his sinne viz. If thy brother sin c. not thou hear or suspect 4. The fourth is the end of our using the expressed Church-means and manner of purging that sinne from thaâ— brother viz. his recovery in these words thou hast won thy brother with v. 13 14. The fifth is the means i. e. convincing-reproof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convincingly reprove him 6. The sixth is the instituted manner of our using that mean for that good of that our brother viz. all privacy and brotherly tenderness toward his soreness touchiness and good name between thee and him alone 7. The issue and success which is two-fold either good and pertinent to our case and verse viz. If he recover repent and return i. e. If he hear thee or bad and referring us to the next verse and case and not of pâ—esent observation 8. The eighth is the comfort and commendation of the Agent expresly and tacitly of the Patient thou hast won thy brother DOCTRINE The Doctrine which ariseth from the whole body of the first part of this The first degree of Christs Church-Discipline for his curing his sick Saints exacteth all these Ingredients 1. A Church-brotherhood both in the Agent and Patient 2. Sin in the Patient destroying that Brotherhood 3. The Agents knowledge of 4. And endeavour to cure the sin 5. By convincing-reproof 6. With all indulgent privacy 7. And expectation of success 8. And comfort The Proofs of each of these eight requisits are expressed in the Exposition of Christs express plain and sole-instituting Precept hereof more than which is not in Institutions to be expected much less exacted what is shall be supplyed in the uses USE 1. The first Use therefore must be for the confutation of the contrary tenent from whence the contrary practice groweth which is in its place to be dehorted reproved threatned and adjudged 1. Those that hold against the first are especially our Non-Conformitans called Professours and Puritans who hold no other brotherhood hereto requisite but that of the mystical union with Christ by personal Faith manifested by profession and fruits thereof but to what Church do they fit that party or cause which is the prime scope of the agent and to it are all the said particulars to be reduced and if the mark or aim be mistaken all Subordinats to it must needs be wrong their mark is not the Church of England their aim drift scope and endeavour is not for it and yet other Church they hold not much less labour for wherefore they erring in the very subject and object all their instituted Discipline and Church-dealing must needs be other than Christs and so in part and whole Antichrists at least the same in nature with his though not in act aim intent or possession his nor accepted by him and so they have no thanks for their labour and devotion either from Christ or Antichrist and so are of all most miserable in this matter suffering as busie-Bishops and Reproachers 1 Pet. 4.15 Use 2. They that erre in the 2d particular are the holders that every sinne in judgment word endeavour or act is the disease here meant But what meant Paul then to say Him that is weak in the faith receive unto you c. Rom. 14.1 expressing that weakness in the Faith to be in holding and practising the Mosaical holy days and in abstaining from the legally forbidden meats in obedience and conscience to Gods command by Moses which was then abolished and to prove and press that doctrine so plainly and plentifully through that Chapter unto Chap. 15.7 and there to conclude the same with the same Exhortation illustrated This is much confirmed Act. 21.20 to 26. 16.3 18.18 Why is Josephs omission of this first part commended as a point of his justness toward God and Christian indulgence toward Mary as to a true holy and tender-hearted Saint though his knowledge of her supposed sinne did neer over-weigh them all and gave him a strong appearance that it was a sinne destroying Church-brotherhood and her instituted Church-state the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being or as being a just or righteous man c. and not being willing c. prevent all evasion in this point that every sinne of a brother known to another brother necessiteth not this instituted or Church-dealing which point is very frequently and fervently pressed in the word 1 Pet. 4.8 Prov. 10.12 1 Cor. 13.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love roofeth all things Gal. 6.2 Mat. 6.14 15. Mar. 11.25 26. Obj. But you seem guilty and loving of some sins in putting them out of this case Answ The truth is I so love Gods divine Discipline that I cleave close thereto though I thereby incur your suspicion But it rather seems that you more affect absoluteness of Will and licentious injuriousness than Christs institutions and obedience to them wherein a Christians summum bonum and content consisteth Eccles 12.13 But I respect not personal upbraidings but reall arguments in this material case Michals scornings 2 Sam. 6.16 to 22. I scorn and honour Moses his periods to all his instituted practises i.e. As the Lord commanded Moses The third ingredient unto this divine medicine viz. the curers due and certain knowledge of the the disease or sin of his brother is 1. proved necessary Joh. 7.51 Doth our Law condemn a man before it hear him and know what he hath done was it so evident that the Law of Moses though in Christs time much corrupted by the Scribes and Pharises did not upon any report or presumption but onely by judicial hearing and testimony by two Witnesses at the least and testified in presence of the accused and answered by him condemn any man how dare any Church of the Gospel do so lest to his power he make the Gospel of Christ worse then the Law of Moses But by