for the Exaltation and Propagation of his Everlasting Truth and Gospel in the Earth we have not been wanting with the Hazard of our Lives to seek the scattered ones holding forth the Living and Sure Foundation and inviting and perswading all to obey the Gospel of Christ and to take Notice of his Reproofs as he makes himself manifest in and by his Light in their Hearts so our Care and Travail is and hath been towards those that are without that we may bring them into the Fellowship of the Saints in Light and towards those that are brought in that they may not be led out again or drawn aside either to the left Hand or the right by the Workings and Temptations of the Enemy These Things being thus cleared and opened we do positively affirm that we being a People gathered together by the Power of God which most if not all of those that arising among our selves do oppose us herein have acknowledged into the Belief of certain Principles and Doctrines and also certain Practices Performances by which we are come to be separated and distinguished from others so as to meet apart and also to suffer deeply for our Joint-Testimony there are and must of Necessity be as in the gathering of us so in the preserving of us while gathered Diversities of Gifts and Operations for the edifying of the whole Body Hence saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine this we suppose neither to be Popish nor Antichristian let our Opposers say it as oft as they can without reckoning the Apostles such Secondly Forasmuch as all are not called in the same Station some rich some poor some Servants some Masters some married some unmarried some Widdows and some Orphans and so forth it is not only convenient but absolutely needfull that there be certain Meetings at certain Places and Times as may best sute the Conveniencies of such who may be most particularly concerned in them where both those that are to take Care may assemble and those who may need this Care may come and make known their Necessities and receive help whether by Counsel or Supply according to their respective Needs This doth not at all contradict the Principle of being led inwardly and immediately by the Spirit else how came the Apostle in that Day of the Powerful pouring forth of the Spirit of God to set apart Men for this Purpose sure this was not to lead them from their inward Guide yea of the contrary it is expresly said Look ye out among you Seven men of honest Report full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom whom we may appoint over this Business Sure they were not to undertake a Business being full of the Holy Ghost which might import a contradiction to their being led by it So we see it is both fit and suitable to the Apostles Doctrine to have Meetings about Business Now if any should be so whimsical or conceited as to scruple their being at set Places and Times though these be nothing relative to the Essential parts but only Circumstances relating to the Conveniency of our Persons which we must have Regard to so long as we are cloathed with Flesh and Blood and such Notionists as are against this Godly Care work far more in their vain Imaginations than they reduce to Practice being like unto such of whom the Apostle James testified who content themselves with saying to the Naked be clothed and to the hungry be fed while they offer not in the least to minister to them those Things which are needful for clothing and Feeding of them yet shall we not scruple to make it appear that it is not without very good Ground that we both appoint Places and Times and First as to the Place I say as before it is with our Bodies we must meet as well as with our Spirits and so of Necessity we must convey our Bodies unto one Place that we may speak and act in those Things we meet for and that must be in some certain Place where all must know where to find it having herein a regard to the Conveniencies and Occasions of such as meet Were it fit that those of the Church of Corinth should go do their Business at Antioch or the Church of Jerusalem at Rome Nay surely God hath not given us our Reasons to no Purpose but that we should make use for his Glory and the good of our Brethren yet alwayes in Subjection to his Power and Spirit and therefore we have respect to these Things in the appointing of our Meetings and do it not without a Regard to the Lord but in a Sense of his Fear And so the like as to Times which is no contradicting of the inward Leading of the Spirit else how came the Apostle to appoint a Time to the Corinthians in their Contributions desiring them 1 Cor. 16. 2. To lay by them in store upon the first Day of the Week yea saith he not that he gave the same Order to the Church of Galatia I know not how any in Reason can quarrel Set-Times for outward Business it being done in a Subjection to God's Will as all Things ought to be or else how can such as so do but quarrel the Apostle for this Imposition at that Rate upon the Churches of Corinth and Galatia We appoint no set Times for the Performance of the Worship of God so as to appoint men to preach and pray at such and such Set-times though we appoint times to meet together in the Name of the Lord that we may feel his Presence and he may move in and through whom he pleaseth without Limitation which Practice of meeting together we are greatly encouraged to by the Promise of Christ and our own blessed Experience and also we are severely prohibited to lay it aside by the holy Apostle and also on the other Hand by the sad Experience of such as by Negligence or Prejudice forsake the Assemblies of God's People upon many of which is already fulfilled and upon others daily fulfilling the Judgments threatned upon such Transgressors read Heb. 10. from ver 23. to the End where that Duty is so seriously exhorted to and the Contempt of it reckoned a wilfull Sin almost if not altogether unpardonable yea a Treading under Foot the Son of God and a Doing Despite to the Spirit of Grace which is fulfilled in our Day and proves the lamentable Fruits of such as have so backsliden among us and therefore having so much good and real Ground for what we do herein together with the Approbation and Encouragment of Christ and his Apostles both by Command and Practice we can as that which both the Alpha and Omega the Foundation and Cap-stone faithfully affirm in good Conscience That God hath led us by his Spirit both to appoint Places and Times where we may see the Faces one of another and
to take Care one for another provoking one another to Love and good Works and our Faith and Cofidence herein cannot be staggered by a meer Denial in our Opposers which no man of Conscience and Reason will say it ought seeing the Thing it self hath such a solid and real Cause and Foundation so good and suitable a Patern and Example and that it is constantly confirmed to us both by the Testimony of God's Spirit in our Hearts and by the good Fruits and Effects which we daily reap thereby as a Seal and Confirmation that God is well pleased therewith and approveth us in it Having thus far proceeded to shew that there ought to be Order and Government among the People of God and that that which we plead for is that there may be certain Meetings set apart for that End it is next to be considered in what Cases and how far it may extend SECTION Fifth In what Cases and how far this Government extends and first as to Outwards and Temporals I shall begin with that which gave the first Rise for this Order among the Apostles and I do verily believe might have been among the first Occasions that gave the like among us and that is The Care of the Poor of Widdows and Orphans Love and Compassion are the great yea and the chiefest Marks of Christianity Hereby shall it be known saith Christ that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another And James the Apostle places Religion herein in the first place Pure Religion saith he and Vndefiled before God and the Father is to visit the Fatherless and Widdows in their Afflictions c. For this then as one main End do we meet together that Inquiry may be made if there be any poor of the Houshould of Faith that need that they may be supplied that the Widdows may be taken Care of that the Orphans and Fatherless may be bred up and educated Who will be so unchristian as to reprove this good Order and Government and to say it is needless but if any will thus object May not the Spirit lead every one of you to give to them that need What needs meeting about it and such Formalities I answer The Spirit of God leads us so to do what can they say to the contrary nor is this a Practice any ways inconsistent with being inwardly and immediately led by the Spirit for the Spirit of God doth now as well as in the Dayes of old lead his People into those Things which are orderly and of a good Report for he is the God of Order and not of Confusion therefore the Holy Apostles judged it no Inconsistency with their being led by the Spirit to appoint Men full of the Holy Ghost and of Wisdom over the Business of the poor Now if to be full of the Holy Ghost be a Qualification needfull for this Imployment surely the Nature of their Imployment was not to render this so needful a Qualification useless and ineffectual as if they were not to be led by it Moreover we see though they were at that Time all filled with the Spirit yet there was something wanting before this good Order was established There was a Murmuring that some Widdows were neglected in the daily Ministration and we must not suppose the Apostles went about to remedy this Evil that was creeping into the Church without the Counsel of God by his Spirit or that this Remedy they were led to was stepping into the Apostacy neither can it be so said of us we proceeding upon the like Occasion If then it be thus needful and suitable to the Gospel to relieve the Necessities of the poor that as there was no Begger to be among Israel of old so far less now must there not be Meetings to appoint Contribution in Order to the performing these Things which is no other but the giving of a general Intimation what the needs are that every one as God moves sheir Hearts and hath prospered them without Imposition Force or Limitation may give towards these needful Uses in which Case these Murmurers at our good order in such matters may well think strange at the Apostle How pressingly how earnestly doth he reiterate his Desires and Provocations so to speak in this Respect to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 and the 8th and 9th Chapters of the 2d Epistle throughout Now though he testifies to them elsewhere that they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and that the Spirit of God dwells in them yet ceaseth he not to intreat and exhort yea and to give them certain Orders in this Matter Besides all these Reasons which are sufficient to convince any unprejudicate man the Secret Approbation of God's Spirit accompanying us in this Thing together with the Fruits and Effects of it which hundreds can witness to whose Needs have been supplied and themselves helped through divers Difficulties and the Testimonies of some already of many more Orphans and Fatherless Children who have found no want neither of Father nor Mother or other Relations through the tender Love and Care of God's People in putting them in Trades and Imployments and giving them all needfull Education which will make it appear ere this Age pass away to those that have an Eye to see that these are not the meer Doings and Orders of Men but the Work of him who is appearing in ten Thousands of his Saints to establish not only Truth but Mercy and Righteousness in the Earth And for that End therefore in the second Place this Order reacheth the taking up and composing of Differences as to outward Things which may fall out betwixt Friend and Friend for such Things may fall out through the Intricacies of diverse Affairs where neither hath any positive Intention to injure and defraud his Neighbour as in many Cases might be instanced or if through the Workings and Temptations of him whose Work is to beset the Faithful and People of the Lord and to engender so far as he can Strise and Division among them any should step aside as to offer to wrong or prejudge his Neighbour we do boldly aver as a People gathered together by the Lord unto the same Faith and distinguished from all others by our Joint Testimony and Sufferings that we have Power and Authority to decide and remove these things among our selves without going to others to seek Redress and this in it self hath so much Reason that I cannot tell if any that are not wholely prejudicate or obstinate can blame it for if we be of one Mind concerning Faith and Religion and that it be our Joint-Interest to bring all others unto the same Truth with us as supposing them to be wrong what Confidence can we have to think of reclaiming them if the Truth we profess have not Efficacy as to reconcile us among our selves in the Matters of this World if we be forced to go out to others for Equity and Justice because we cannot find it among our selves
all have need one of another yet is no Member to assume another Place in the Body then God has given it nor yet to grudge or repine its Fellow-member's Place but to be content with its own for the Uncomely Parts are no less needful then the Comely and the less Honourable then the more Honourable which the Apostle Paul holds forth in 1 Cor. 12. from Vers. 13 to 30. Now the Ground of all Schism Divisions or Rents in the Body is whenas any Member assumes another Place then is allotted it or being gone from the Life and Unity of the Body and loosing the Sense of it le ts in the Murmurer the Eye that watches for Evil and not in holy Care over its Fellow-members and then instead of coming down to Judgement in it self will stand up and judge its Fellow-members yea the whole Body or those whom God has set in a more honourable and eminent Place in the Body then it self such suffer not the Word of Exhortation and term the Reproofs of Instruction which is the Way of Life Imposition and Oppression and are not aware how far they are in the things they condemn others for while they spare not to reprove and revile all their Fellow-members yet if they be but admonished themselves they cry out as if their great Charter of Gospel-Liberty were broken Now though such and the Spirit by which they are acted be sufficiently seen and felt by Thousands whose Hearts God has so established as they are out of Danger of being intangled in that Snare and who have Power and Strength in themselves to judge that Spirit even in its most subtil Appearances yet there are who cannot so well withstand the Subtilty and seeming Sincerity some such pretend to though in measure they have a sight of them and others that cannot so rightly distinguish betwixt the Precious and the Vile and some there are that through Weakness and want of true Discerning may be deceived and the Simplicity in them betrayed for a season as it is written With Fair Speeches and Smooth Words they deceive the Hearts of the Simple Therefore having according to my measure received an Opening in my Understanding as to these things from the Light of the Lord and having been for some time under the weighty Sense of them I find at this instant a Freedom to commit them to writing for the more Universal Benefit and Edification of the Church of CHRIST Now for the more plain and clear opening and understanding of these things it is fit to sum up this Treatise in these following general Heads to be considered of First From whence the Ground and Cause of this Controversie is the Rice and Root of it Secondly Whether there be now any Order and Government in the Church of Christ Thirdly What is the Order and Government which we plead for in what Cases and how far it may extend in whom the Power decisive is and how it differeth and is wholely another then the Oppressing and Persecuting Principality of the Church of Rome and other Antichristian Assemblies SECTION Second Concerning the Ground and Cause of this CONTROVERSIE VVHenas the Lord God by his mighty Power began to visit the Nations with the Dawning of his Heavenly Day for thus I write unto those that have received and believed the Truth and that he sent forth his Instruments whom he had fitted and prepared for his Work having fashioned them not according to the Wisdom and Will of Man but to his own heavenly Wisdom and Counsel they went sorth and preached the Gospel in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit not in the Enticing Words of man's Wisdom but in Appearance as Fools and mad to those that judged according to Man but their Words and Testimony pierced through into the Inner Man in the Heart and reached to that of God in the Conscience whereby as many as were simple-hearted and waited for the Redemption of their Souls received them as the Messengers of the most high God and their Words were unto them not as the Words of Men but as the Words of God for in the receiving and imbracing the Testimony of Truth through them they felt their Souls eased and the acceptable Day began to dawn in and upon them Now what Evidence brought these Men to make their Testimony to be received did they entice did they flatter did they daub up did they preach Liberty to the Flesh or Will of man Nay verily they used no such Method their Words were as Thunder-Bolts knocking down all that stood in their Way and pouring down the Judgement of God upon the Head of the Transgressor every where Did they spare the Zealous Professor more then the open prophane Nay verily they condemned equally the Hypocrisie of the one as well as the Prophanity of the other yet wanted they not regard to the tender Seed and Plant of God in either Did they give way Did they yield to the Wisdom of man to the Deceitfulness of the Serpent that would reason Truth from themselves saying I must stay until I be convinced of this and thaâ— and the other thing I see not yet this to be wrong or the other thâ—â—g to be my Duty How did they knock down this manner of Reasoning by the Spirit of God which wrought mightily in them shewing and holding forth that this is the Day of the Lord that is dawned that all are invited to come that none ought to tarry behind that that which so pleadeth is the same Spirit which of old time said in those that were invited I cannot come yet I must first marry a Wife I must go prove my Yoak of Oxen I must go visit my Possessions let me first bury my dead Father Did not the Lord through them testifie and declare against these things and is there not a Cloud of Witnesses who felt the Enemy thus reasoning to keep us in the Forms Fellowships false Worships and Foolish Fashions of this World but we felt as we were obedient all these things to be for Condemnation and that as we obeyed the pure manifestation of the Light of Jesus in our Hearts there was no Haesitation We might and should have parted with all those things at the first and what occasioned such Scruples was but that which drew back through being unwilling to give pure Obedience to the Cross of Christ for as many as gave Obedience and believed in the Light found no Occasion of stumbling but such as believed not were condemned already because they believed not in him that appeared Now the Boldness and Courage and Efficacy of these Messengers Testimony wrought such Astonishmenâ— Fear and Amazement in the Hearts of such as were Ingenuous that many began to be inwardly pricked as in the Days of old and the Foundations of many began to be shaken and some that were asleep were awakened and many that were dead and buried in the Graves of Sin and Formality and Superstition and Idolatry of all Sorts
13. 7. Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow considering the End of their Conversation 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give Account that they may do it with Joy and not with Grief for that is unprofitable for you Jude 8. Likewise also these filthy Dreamers defile the Flesh despise Dominion and speak Evil of Dignities I might at length enlarge if needful upon these Passages any of which is sufficient to prove the Matter in Hand but that what is said may satisfie such as are not wilfully blind and obstinate for there can be nothing more plain from these Testimonies then that the Ancient Apostles Primitive Christians practised Order and Government in the Church that some did appoint and ordain certain Things condemn and approve certain Practices as well as Doctrines by the Spirit of God that there lay an Obligation in Point of Duty upon others to obey and submit that this was no Encroachment nor-Imposition upon their Christian-Liberty nor any Wayes contradictory to their being inwardly and immediately led by the Spirit of God in their Hearts and lastly that such as are in the true Feeling and Sense will find it their Places to obey and be one with the Church of Christ in such like Cases and that it 's such as have lost their Sense and Feeling of the Life of the Body that dissent and are disobedient under the false Prentence of Liberty so that thus is sufficiently proven what I undertook in this Place Thirdly I judge there will need no great Arguments to prove the People of God may do well to exercise the like Government upon the very like Occasion for even Reason may teach us that what proved good wholsom Cures to the Distemper of the Church in former Ages will not now the very like Distempers falling in prove hurtful and poysonable especially if we have the Testimony of the same Spirit in our Hearts not only allowing us but commanding us so to do It is manifest though we are sorry for it that the same Occasions now fall in we find that there are that have eaten and drunken with us at the Table of the Lord and have been Sharers of the same spiritual Joy and Consolation that afterwards fall away we find to our great Grief that some walk disorderly and some are puffed up and strive to sow Division labouring to stumble the weak and to cause Offences in the Church of Christ What then is more suitable and more christian then to follow the Foot-steps of the Flock and to labour and travail for the good of the Church and for the removing all that is hurtful even as the holy Apostles who walked with Jesus did before us If there be such as walk disorderly now must not they be admonished rebuked and withdrawn from as well as of old or is such to be the Condition of the Church in these latter Times that all Iniquity must go unreproved Must it be Heresie or Oppression to watch over one another in Love to take Care for the Poor to see that there be no corrupt no defiled Members of the Body and carefully and christianly deal with them for restoring them if possible and for withdrawing from them if incureable I am perswaded that there are none that look upon the Commands of Christ and his Apostles the Practice and Experience of the primitive Church and Saints as a sufficient President to authorize a Practice now that will deny the Lawfulness or Usefulness hereof but must needs acknowledge the Necessity of it But if it be objected as some have done Do not you deny that the Scripture is the adequate Rule of Faith and Manners and that the Commands or Practices of the Scripture are not a sufficient Warrant for you now to do any thing without you be again authorized and led unto it by the same Spirit and upon that Score do you not forbear some things both practised and commanded by the primitive Church and Saints Well I hope I have not any thing weakned this Objection but presented it in its full Vigour and Strength to which I shall clearly and distinctly answer thus First Seasons and Times do not alter the Nature and Substance of Things in themselves though it may cause Things to alter as to the Usefulness or not Usefulness of them Secondly Things commanded and practised at certain times and seasons fall of themselves whenas the Cause and Ground for which they were commanded is removed as there is no need now for the Decision about Circumcision seeing there are none contend for it neither as to the Orders concerning Things offered to Idols seeing there is now no such Occasion yet who will say that the Command enjoyn'd in the same Place Acts 15. 20. To abstain from Fornication is now made void seeing there is daily need for its standing in Force because it yet remains as a Temptation man is incident to We confess indeed we are against such as from the bare Letter of the Scripture though if it were seasonable now to debate it we find but few to deal with whose Practises are so exactly squared seek to uphold Customs Forms or Shaddows when the Use for which they were appointed is removed or the Substance it self known and witnessed as we have sufficiently elsewhere answered our Opposers in the Case of Water-Baptism and Bread and Wine c. so that the Objection as to that doth not hold and the Difference is very wide in respect of such Things the very Nature and Substance of which can never be dispensed with by the People of God so long as they are in this World yea without which they could not be his People for the Doctrines and fundamental Principles of the Christian Faith we own and believe originally and principally because they are the Truths of God whereunto the Spirit of God in our Hearts hath constrained our Understandings to obey and submit In the second Place we are greatly confirmed strengthned and comforted in the joint Testimony of our Brethren the Apostles and Disciples of Christ who by the Revelation of the same Spirit in the Dayes of old believed and have left upon record the same Truths so we having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore we speak and we deny not but some that from the Letter have had the Notion of these Things have thereby in the Mercy of God received Occasion to have them revealed in the Life for we freely acknowledge though often calumniated to the contrary that whatsoever Things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures may have Hope So then I hope if the Spirit of God lead me now unto that which is good profitable yea and
absolutely needful in order to the keeping my Conscience clear and void of Offence towards God and Man none will be so unreasonable as to say I ought not to do it because it is according to the Scriptures nor do I think it will savour ill among any serious solid Christians for me to be the more confirmed and perswaded that I am led to this Thing by the Spirit that I find it in it self good and useful and that upon the like Occasions Christ commanded it the Apostles and Primitive Christians practised and recommended it Now seeing it is so that we can boldly say with a good Conscience in the Sight of God that the same Spirit which leads us to believe the Doctrines and Principles of the Truth and to hold them and maintain them again after the Apostacy in their primitive and ancient Purity as they were delivered by the Apostles of Christ in the holy Scriptures I say that the same Spirit doth now lead us into the like holy Order and Government to be exercised among us as it was among them being now the like Occasion and Opportunity ministred to us therefore what can any Christianly or Rationally object against it for that there is a Real Cause for it the thing it self speaketh and that it was the Practice of the Saints and Church of old is undeniable what kind of Ground then can any such Opposers have for to such as scrupling at this do notwithstanding acknowledge our Principle that this were done by Imposition or Imitation more then the Belief of the Doctrines and Principles seeing as it is needful to use all Diligence to convince and perswade People of the Truth and bring them to the Belief of it which yet we cannot do but as Truth moves and draws in their Hearts it is also no less needful when a People is gathered to keep and preserve them in Unity and Love as becomes the Church of Christ and to be careful as saith the Apostle That all Things be done decently and in Order and that all that is wrong be removed according to the Method of the Gospel and the good cherished and encouraged so that we conclude and that upon very good Grounds that there ought now as well as heretofore to be Order Government in the Church of Christ that which now cometh to be examined in the third Place is First What is the Order and Government we plead for Secondly In what Cases and how far it may extend and in whom the Power decisive is Thirdly How it differeth and is wholely an other then the oppressive and persecuting Principallity of the Church of Rome and other Antichristian Assemblies SECTION Fourth Of the Order and Government which we plead for IT will be needful then before I proceed to describe the Order Government of the Church to consider what is or may be properly understood by the Church for some as I touched before seem to be offended or at least afraid of the very Word because The Power of the Church the Order of the Church the Judgment of the Church and such like Pretences have been the great Weapons wherewith Antichrist and the Apostate Christians have been these many Generations persecuting the Woman and warring against the Man-child and indeed great Disputes have been among the Learned Rabbies in the Apostacy concerning this Church what it is or what may be so accounted which I find not my Place at present to dive much in but shall only give the true Sense of it according to Truth and the Scriptures plain Testimony The Word Church in it self and as used in the Scriptures is no other but a Gathering Company or Assembly of certain People called or gathered together for so the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies which is that the Translators render Church which Word is derived from the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. evoco I call out of from the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voco I call Now though the English Word Church be only taken in such a Sense as People are gathered together upon a Religious Account yet the Greek Word that is so rendered is taken in general for every Gathering or Meeting together of People and therefore where it is said The Town-Clark of the Ephesians dismissed the Tumult that was gathered there together the same Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used Acts 19. 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he dismissed the Assembly or the Church A Church then in the Scripture Phrase is no other then a Meeting or Gathering of certain People which if it be taken in a religious Sense as most commonly it is are gathered together in the Belief of the same Principles Doctrines and Points of Faith whereby as a Body they become distinguished from others and have a certain Relation among themselves and a conjunct Interest to the maintaining and propagating these Principles they judge to be right and therefore have a certain Care and Oversight over on another to prevent and remove all Occasions that may tend to break this their conjunct Interest hinder the Propagation of it or bring Infamy Contempt or Contumely upon it or give such as on the other Hand are or may be banded together to undo them just Occasion against them to decry and defame them Now the Way to distinguish that Church Gathering or Assembly of People whereof Christ truly is the Head from snch as falsly pretend thereto is by considering the Principles Grounds upon which they are gathered together the Nature of that Hierarchy Order they have among themselves the Way and Method they take to uphold it and the Bottom upon which it standeth which will greatly contribute to clear all Mistakes Forasmuch as Sanctification and Holiness is the great and chief End among true Christians which moves them to gather together therefore the Apostle Paul defines the Church in his Salutation to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1. 2. Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints so the Church is such as are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints The Power and Authority Order and Government we speak of is such as a Church Meeting Gathering or Assembly claims towards those that have or do declare themselves Members who own believe and profess the same Doctrines and Principles of Faith with us and go under the same Distinction and Denomination whose Escapes Faults and Errors may by our Adversaries justly be imputed to us if not seasonably and christianly reproved reclaimed or condemned for we are not so foolish as to concern our selves with those who are not of us far less who stand in Opposition to us so as to reprove instruct or reclaim them as Fellow Members or Brethren yet with a Respect to remove the general Reproach from the Christian Name with a tender Regard to the good of their immortal Souls for the Zeal we owe to God's Glory and
Infallibility was not inseparably annexed to him he was found blameable in a certain Matter Gal. 2. 11. notwithstanding his Sentence was positively received in many particulars So also the Apostle Paul argues from his gathering of the Churches of Corinth and Galatia that they ought to be Followers of him and positively concludes in divers Things and upon this Supposition exhort the Churches both he and Peter in many Passages heretofore mentioned which I will not to avoid Repetition again rehearse To obey the Elders that watch for them to hold such in Reputation and to submit themselves to them that have addicted themselves to the Miâ—istry of the Saints 1 Cor. 16. 15 16. Also we see how the Lord makes use of John his beloved Disciple to inform and reprove the seven Churches of Asia and no doubt John the rest by the usual Computation being at that Time all removed was then the most noted and famous Elder alive and indeed I mind not where under the Gospel Christ hath used any other Method but that he alwayes in revealing his Will hath made use of such as he himself had before appointed Elders and Officers in his Church though it be far from us to limit the Lord so as to exclude any from this Priviledge nor yet on the other Hand will the Possibility hereof be a sufficient Warrant to allow every obscure Member to stand up and offer to rule judge and condemn the whole Body nor yet is it without Cause that such an one's Message is jealoused and called in Question unless it have very great Evidence and be bottomed upon some very weighty and solid Cause and Foundation And God doth so furnish those whom he raises up in a singular Manner of which as I said I mind no Instance in the New Testament and in the old we see though it was strange that little David should oppose himself to the great Goliah yet he had before that killed both the Lyon and the Bear which was no less improbable and which of all is most observable was before that Time by the Appointment of God and the Hand of the Prophet anointed King of Israel compare the 16th and 17th chap. of the 1st of Samuel Now as to the Third That any particular Persons de Facto or effectually giving out a positive Judgment is no Incroaching nor Imposing upon their Brethren's Conscience is necessarily included in what is said before upon which for further Probation there will only need this short Reflection that for any Member or Members in Obedience to the Lord to give forth a positive Judgment in the Church of Christ is their proper Place and Office they being called to it and so for them to exercise that Place in the Body which the Head moves them to is not to usurp Authority over their Fellow Members as on the other Hand to submit and obey it being the Place of some so to do is not a renouncing a being led by the Spirit seeing the Spirit leads them so to do and not to obey in Case the Judgment be according to Truth and the Spirit lead to it is no doubt both offensive and sinful and that all this may be supposed in the Church of Christ without Absurdity and so establish the above mentioned Propositions will appear by a short review of the former Passages If that Peter and James their giving a positive Judgment in the Case of Difference in divers particulâ—rs did not infer them to be Imposers so neither will any so doing now being led to it by the same Authority every one may easily make the Application and on the contrary if for any to have stood up and resisted their Judgment pretending an unclearness or so and thereby held up the Difference after their Sentence breaking the Peace and Unity of the Church Things being concluded with an It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us I say if such would have given just Cause of Offence and have been cut off as Despisers of Dignities of old will not the like Case now occurring the same Conclusion holds Now whether those Propositions do not hold upon the Principles before laid down and proved I leave to every Judicious and Impartiall Reader to judge Moreover we see how positive the Apostle Paul is in many particulars throughout all his Epistles insomuch as he saith 2 Thes. ult 14. If any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed And in many more Places before mentioned where he commands them both to obey him and several others who were appointed no doubt by the Spirit of God to be Rulers among them and yet who will say that either the Apostle did more then he ought in commanding or they less then they were obliged to in submitting and yet neither were to do any thing contrary or more then the Spirit of God in themselves led them to or allowed them in and if the Church of God bear any Parity or Proportion now in these Dayes with what it did of old as I know no Reason why it should not the same things may now be supposed to take Effect that did then and also be lawfully done upon the like Occasion proceeding from the same Spirit and established upon the same Basis and Foundation and thus much as to that Part to shew in whom the Power of Decision is which being seriously and impartialy considered is sufficient to clear us from the Tyranny either of Popery or any other of that Nature with those that are not either wilfully blind or very ignorant of Popish Principles may observe but seeing to manifest that Difference was one of those things proposed to be considered of I shall now come to say something of it in its proper Place SECTION Eighth How this Government altogether differeth from the Oppressing and Persecuting Principallity of the Church of Rome and oâ—her Antichristian Assemblies WHatever Way we understand the Popish Principles in this Matter whether of those that are most devoted to the Sea of Rome as the King of Spain's Dominions the Princes of Italy the Jesuites and Generallity of all those called Religious Orders who hold that Papa in Cathedra non potest errare licet absque Concilio that is that the Pope in his Chair cannot err though without a Council or of those that are less devoted who plead this Infallibility in the Pope and Council lawfully convened who yet by the more zealous are reckoned petty Schismaticks I say whatever Way we take them all those that do profess themselves Members of the Romish Church and are so far such as to understand their own Principles do unquestionably acknowledge First That no General Council can be lawfully called without the Bishop of Rome as Christ's Vicar and Peter's Successor call it Secondly That either he himself or some from him as his Legates must be there present and alwayes preceed Thirdly That the Members having Vote are