Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Pubican That is Excommunicate him Now for what faults he is to be Excommunicate they are set down v. 15. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee c. So it is a scandalous Trespass wherein the offender does persist and remain obstinate on which according to Christ's Rule Excommunication should strick Now sure it is there are many Errors not contrary to fundamental Truths such as many points of Arminianism Antinomianism c. which yet persisted in are Scandalous both to particular Christians and the Church and therefore according to Christs Rule Excommunication should strick upon other Errors than those contrary to the fundamental Points of Religion which is contrary to their assertion Thirdly Neither can we assent that Excommunication should strick on no other Errors but those contrary to the light of Nature and that not only because of what is presently said that Excommunication should strick against every scandalous Sin done against a Brother or the Church wherein the offender does persist and remain obstinate but also according to that Rule whereby they maintain that Excommunication should strick on no other Error but these that are contrary to the very Light of Nature it would follow that the publisher of these Errors following or the like against fundamental Truths should not be censured to wit That the Scriptures are not the word of God That Jesus Christ was an Impostor a Deceiver That we are not justified by free Grace say according to that rule such Hereticks should not be censured no not Ecclesiastically because these Errors are not against Natures Light but Scripture Light only for Natures Light teacheth not the Truths which are contrary to these Errors This much for Church Tolleration but as said is concerning this is not the present Contraversy The main question then is concerning State Tolleration Concerning which some do affirm That whatever the Church may do in Inflicting Church Censures on Hereticks Maintainers of Heterodox Opinions Yet say they no civil Punishment such as Death Imprisonment Mulcts or Fines should be inflicted on any Error or Blasphem whatsoever providing the Maintainers of them carry themselves peaceably do not trouble the State or do evil against the Commonwealth in civil Things We again on the contrary do hold That it is the Duty of the Civil Magistrate to suppress Error Heresie and every sin against the First Table as well as it is his Duty to suppress Adultery Fornication Sedition and other sins against the second Table And that he is not only bound to suppress Errors and Blasphemies that are contrary to fundamental Truths or the Light of Nature but all Error contrary to other points of Truth Now for clearing the State of this Question and freeing it from some odious Imputations that may be cast upon it Before we come to Arguments we shall lay down these Assertions First We do not say that the Magistrate is bound to punish Hereticks at the first step Pains should first be taken to inform them the Judgement of the Church is Antecedent and their Labour is to convince Gainsayers So this must go before the Magistrates Duty they must be found Obstinate before the Magistrate medle with them or punish them Civilly Especially if their Errors be not horrid Blasphemies against God and Natures Light in such the Magistrate is not bound to give so much Forbearance Secondly We do not say that all Errors and Heresies are to get alike punishment but according to the degrees of the guilt that is in them even as it is in sins committed against the Second Table Murder is a more hainous Fault than Fornication and therefore the Magistrate is bound to punish it more highly Even so is it in Sins done against the First Table Blasphemies done against God or a denying of the true God is a higher Sin than Worshiping of the true God after a false manner and therefore the Magistrate is bound to punish it more severely Thirdly As we do not say that every Error and Heresie is to receive the like punishment so neither do we say that every one that maintains the same Error is to be alike punished for there are some that are Seducers or Drawers on of others to Error Disturbers of the Peace of the Church Ring-leaders there are others again that are only seduced and drawn away to Error and these last although they should not be Tollerate yet the power of the Magistrate is to be exercised more sparingly towards them So Secondly There are some rooted in Error confirmed in it who will not hear Instruction There are others that are but weak and are seeking Light whose way evidenceth them to be Conscientious only for the time they are Ignorant and in Humility seeking after Light and these last the Magistrate as all other Christians is to bear much with according to Rom. 15. 1. We then that are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak c. Now this being said to clear the question we come to Arguments to make out this Truth to wit That the Magistrate is bound to suppress and punish Error Heresie and other sins against the First Table as well as he is bound to punish Adultery Theft and other sins against the Second Table The First Argument we bring is from the approven practice of Kings and Magistrates under the Old Testament from which we form an Argument thus If it was the approven practice of Kings and and Magistrates under the Old Testament to suppress Error Heresie and Blasphemy then Magistrates under the New Testament are bound to do the like But so it is that it was the approven practice of Kings and Magistrates under the Old Testament to suppress Error Heresie and Blasphemy and other sins against the first Table Therefore Magistrates under the New Testament are bound to do the like For confirming of this Argument there are two things to be made out First That it was the practice of the Magistrate under the Old Testament to suppress Error and Heresie Secondly As it was their practice so their practice herein is approven of God otherwise it were not binding unto others for Kings and Magistrates did several things wherein they were not approven and so not binding unto us now The first thing then we are to clear is that this was the practice of Magistrates under the Old Testament And we shall begin First with Abraham's practice Genes 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Iustice and Iudgement c. Secondly with Jacob who was a Magistrate in his own Family And we shall see him employing his Power to suppress false Religion In the 35 of Gen. vers 2. Then Jacob said unto his Houshold and to all that were with him put away the strange Gods that are among you
are the surest Pillars of our Commonwealth but woe to and will be to that Common-wealth that is builded on such Pillars And if Scotland or any party in it joyn with them on these terms our woe is but coming He is a jealous God chiefly in the matter of his Service as is clear from the Second Command The Third use is If this be an Ordinance of God to put Power in the Magistrates hand to punish Error it should make you scar at Error and labour to be grounded in the Truth For we see Error is a sin that God hates and it is a sin that God will have the Magistrate to punish and so a sin that he himself will punish if the Magistrate do neglect it It is natural to men to think If they can live a good Life it is the less matter what be their Opinion but the Lord Judges not so for as he will have other sins punished by the Magistrate so he will have these punished also And such as he usually punisheth himself by fearful Plagues when the Magistrate neglecteth his Duty in punishing other sins so doth he in those We might speak much from History of fearful Judgements sent immediatly by God upon Hereticks but we shall here close SECT III. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF Erastianism Head I. That there is a Church Government held forth in Scripture HAving thus show'n that the Doctrine of Tolleration is not of God I proceed to Demonstrate this also in some other of the most Dangerous Errors of the Times We shall begin first with these Errors which are about the Government of the Church and that because the Government of the Church is the hedge of the Doctrine for if once the Government be brangled or shaken the wild Boar of the Wilderness cometh in easily and corrupteth the Doctrine therefore it is that the Devils main design hath been against the Government of the Church to blast and storm this Wall on all Hands The summe of what we have to say in this is to make out these four points First That there is a Government appointed by Christ in his Church distinct from the Civil Government Secondly We shall show that this Government is not in the hands of the Civil Magistrate but in the hands of Christs own officers which he hath appointed for Governing his house By inflicting of Church Censures enacting of Church canons so as they are not to act by derived power from the Magistrate and Appeals are not to be made from them to the Magistrate Thirdly we shall endeavour to prove That this power of Church Government is not in the hands of private Christians or the community of the Faithful but in the hand of Christs own Officers Ministers and Elders And Lastly We shall endeavour to prove that this Authority and Government is not in the hand of particular Congregations or particular Elderships Independently from other Judicatories above them but that this power is given to them so as they must be subject to Superior Judicatories In which propositions we will meet with these Errors that are most dangerously opposite to Church Government at this time The First two propositions are contrary to the Doctrine of Erastians and the last two are contrary to the Doctrine of Independents as they are commonly designed First we shall engage with Erastianism and our Scope in this shall be as in the former to show that however it pretend to the Spirit yet when it is brought to the tryal it will be found not to be of God This Doctrine or Error hath its name from the prime Author of it called Erastus a Doctor of Medicine who upon some discontent did first vent it to wit That Ministers should only meddle with Preaching but should have no power to meet in Church Judicatories Sessions Presbyteries or such like nor should they punish Scandalous sins with Church Censures Such as Suspension or Excommunication But that all power whatsoever in a Nation both in Church and State should be in the hand of the Civil Magistrate This Doctrine so soon as it was vented did get and does yet get many followers chiefly among state Divines and Christians that know more of wordly policy than Christian simplicity so that in a short time if God prevent it not it is like to swallow up all other Controversies about Church Government so plausible and pleasing it is to the powers of the World who cannot well endure to have Christ Reigning besides them Psalm 2. 3. Let us break their bands assunder and cast away their cords from us Both Sectaries and Malignants do aggree in this Error to take the power of Discipline out of the Churches hand 's The spiritual power of Church Censures in the hands of Christs officers is an eye sore to both of them But to come nearer to the point There are two heads of this Erastian Doctrine which we shall labour to refute The First is most gross whereby they affirm That there is no particular Church Government set down in Scripture In a word that there is no Government in the Church by divine right but that this Government is left in the hands of the Civil Magistrate whether to erect any Government at all in the Church or not or if he please to erect one That he may establish That Government which suits best the well-being of the Civil state So that according to this Doctrine the Civil Magistrate may establish Episcopacy this year the next year he may establish Presbytry and the third year he may cast both and establish Independency And if he like He may find out a Government different from any of these and establish it The Second Erastian Error is this whereby they affirm whatever Government be in the Church whether grounded in Scripture or not that according to Scripture it is in the hands of the Civil Magistrate and that he is the chief fountain of Church Government In opposition to the first Error we lay down this Conclusion which God willing we shall make good That Jesus Christ the King and head of his Church hath established a particular form of Church Government in his word which to alter is not in the power of any State whatsoever He hath set down a way for punishing Scandals for inflicting Church Censures Enacting Church canons And hath not left this in the Arbitriment of Kings or Parliaments to set down any Government they please In prosecuting which point we shall follow that Method we keeped in refuting the Doctrine of Tolleration We shall First clear the State of the Question Secondly We shall bring Arguments to confirm the Truth Thirdly We shall Answer these Arguments the Adversary brings against the Truth And so we shall apply all to Use. I. And First for clearing the State of the Question take thir two assertions First we do not affirm that all the Circumstantials of Church Government is set down expresly in the word But only first That all the
substantial parts of Church Government have a warrand in the word and are therein so fixed and established as they are unalterable by any State whatsoever And Secondly As to the Circumstantials that relate to this Government we say they are set down under general Rules sufficient for the ordering of them such as let all things be done in order and to edification Our Second Assertion is we are not to enter here to show what is the particular kind of Government that is appointed in the word and what things falls under the power of Church Governours and in what relation they are to handle them what are the nature of these Censures and how in all these things they differ from the Civil power It would take long time to clear these The thing we aim at is only this general That Jesus Christ the King of his Church and Lord of his House hath set down in his word a particular way for Governing of his house distinct from the Civil which is not in the power of any State to alter We proceed now to Arguments for comfirming this Truth II. The first Argument is this If so be that under the Old Testament there was a particular form of Church Government different from the Civil set down in the word then there must be also the like set down under the New but so it is that there was a particular way set down under the Old Testament for Governing the Church Therefore there must be the like set down under the new For making out this Argument there are two things we have to clear The First is That there was such a Government as this under the Old Testament warranted by the word The Second thing to be cleared is that therefore and upon the same Reason there must be also the like under the New For proving of the First that there was a particular Government of the Church different from the Gvernment of the state under the Old Testament We shall clear two things First That they had Church Judicatories different from the Civil Judicatories And to prove this we shall cite two places of Scripture The First is in 2 Chron 19. 8 9 10. Ye may read the place at leasure but there are these things in it proving that there was a Church Judicatory distinct from the Civil First We see that there is a Judicatory made up of the Church-men of the Levits and Priests in verse 8. Secondly We see that the things they judged of were spiritual matters distinguished from Civil things by calling the the first sort The matters of the Lord And the Second Matters of the King v. 11. Thirdly We see that in this Judicatory a Church-man was Moderator in the 11 verse And behold Amariah the chief Priest is over you And Fourthly We see that the sentence of the Court was Execute by Church-men in the end of the 11 vers Also the Levits shall be officers before you All which being laid together makes out clearly that under the Old Testament â—â—â—re was a Church Judicatory different from the Civil The Second place is in Jeremiah 26. 8. 9. 10 Where we have these things to make out the present point First We see that there were two Judicatories in the 8 v. There is a Judicatory of the Priests and Prophets condemning Jeremiah as a false Prophet again in the 10. and 1â— v. We see there is a Civil Judicatory made up of States-men When the Princes of Judah hard these things then they came up from the Kings house c. So it is plain they had a Church Judicatory for Church matters as well as a Civil Judicatory for Civil matters The Second thing that we are to speak to in order to the proving of the first point to wit That there was a Government of the Church different from that of the State among the Jews is this that as they had Church Judicatories different from the Civil so they had also Church Censures different from Civil punishments as we have amongst us And First publick confession of Scandalous sins was in use among them we shall clear it from one place of Scripture Ezra 10. 10. 11. And Ezra the Priest stood up and said unto them Ye have transgressed Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your Fathers c. There is confession of sin appointed for a fault that was Scandalous to wit their Marrying with strange Wives Now this confession was not only private to God nor on a Fast day but a personal publick acknowledgment after particular Examination of all one by one And we gather this from the 13. v. where it is said Neither is this a work of one day or two c. And in the 16. v. Three moneths was spent on the business so that this was a personal acknowledgment given by every one of them after the Examination of their guilt as we do in our Church Judicatories Secondly Besides this publick Confession they had the Censure of suspending Scandalous men from the Ordinances as we do suspend from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we will find this in David his appointing of the offices of the Priests Among the rest it is recorded of Jehoiadah 2 Chron. 23. v 19. And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the Lord that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in They were suspended from the Ordinances because of their uncleaness And for the neglect of this the Priest's are reproved in Ezek. 22 v 26. Her Priests have violated my Law and have prophaned my Holy things they have put no difference between the unclean and clean neither between the Holy and prophane They let all come rushing together to the Ordinances And for this they are reproved Thirdly They had among them the sentence of Excommunication which is set down under the name of Cutting off from among the People And in the new Testament it is expressed by the name of casting out of the Synagogue which certainly was Excommunication It is a Ridiculous alledgence that they say by cutting off was meaned the inflicting of Temporal death by the sword of the Magistrate for the uncircumcised Man-child he that had touched a dead Body and did not wash after it were to be cut off now who would think that such were to be put to death The Second thing to be made out is That therefore there must be a Church Government under the New Testament seing it was so under the Old and the Reason is because no necessity can be alleadged for a â—hurch Government then but the same necessity is now Is not the Church a mixed multitude now as well as then is there not as great need to separate betwixt the precious and the vile now as then Is not the Church now a feild of Wheat and Tares as well as then Is there not need to keep the Ordinances pure now as then by the fence of Government Is there not need now to
Antinomians that tends to prophanity of life cannot be of God Secondly that Doctrine that is of God tends to exalt Christ. John 16. 15. Speaking of the Spirit of Truth he sayeth he shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you And so that Doctrine of the Papists I mean their Doctrine of Merit is not of God Thirdly That Doctrine which is of God humbles men as Error doth fill men with pride Thus those Sectaries that are spoken of in Jude are called Lofty and so the Doctrine of Separation is not of God because whatever be the pretence of strickness that it caries along with it there is an over-weaning conceit of the Man's self and undervaluing of others that cleaves to this Error And Secondly it maketh People orderly in standing for it So is it said of Christ His voice is not heard in the streets Now these marks as we have said do but usually follow for because of the corruptions of men even the Doctrines that are of God may want these properties and the Doctrines that are not of God may have a shew of them and therefore the first mark to wit the word is the adequate Rule So that all Doctrines ought to be brought to it Whatever be the shew any Doctrine hath whether of Holiness exalting Christ and free Grace whatever shew it have of Humility and orderly carriage in those who profess it in their avowing of it Yet if it be not according to this Rule viz. the word of God it is not of God Doct XI We come now to our main design to wit the Refutation of some of the most dangerous Errors of the Times The ground of what we are to speak to this purpose is taken from the following Doctrine which is evidently imported in the words to wit That there are many Doctrines pretending to the Spirit which yet being brought to the Touchstone will be found not to be of God For while he bids us try the Spirits whither they be of God He evidently insinuates that there are some Spirits which being brought to the tryal will be sound faulty and not to be of God I shall God willing give instances of this and accordingly make it out upon the most taking dangerous and most Erronious Doctrines of the Times particularly upon those following First the Doctrine of Tolleration Secondly the Doctrine of Erastianism Thirdly the Doctrine of Independency Fourthly the Doctrine of Separation Fifthly the Doctrine of the ordinary Preaching by unsent men Sixthly the Doctrine of Antinomianism And Lastly the Doctrine of Anabaptism In all which we shall with the Lords assistance make it appear here that however they pretend to be Doctrines warranted by the Spirit of God in his word yet they are not so warranted in a word we shall show they are not of God SECT II. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE ERROR OF Tolleration WE shall begin with the Error of Tolleration of all Opinions in the matter of Religion a Doctrine that is much cryed up among Sectaries and a Doctrine that is very taking what thinks People if they get leave to serve God according to their own Conscience they need not trouble themselves what others do Our purpose is to show that this Doctrine though it pretend to the Spirit is not of God and for this end we have read these places of Scripture whereupon we are to ground the most of what is to be said against this Error I begin to refute this Error of Tolleration First because it is the Sectaries main refuge it is their Holy of Holys wherein they shelter themselves in their grossest Errors what say they it is our Conscience and who dare meddle with Conscience but the God of Conscience Secondly we think it needfull to begin with it First because of all other Errors it is the most dangerous and damnable in so far as other Errors do only evert these particular Truths of Scripture to which they are contrary but by this one Error this Monster of Tolleration way is made to evert all the Truths contained in Scripture and to the setting up all Errors contrary to every Jote of Truth and in the mean time there shall be no power on earth to hinder it or take order with it In prosecuting of this we shall follow this Method First we shall clear the state of the question Secondly we shall bring our Arguments for confirming the Truth and vindicate them from the Adversaries exceptions Thirdly We shall bring forth their Arguments and shall refute them from Scripture and Reason And Fourthly We shall apply the whole to some practical use First For the state of the question what a thing this Tolleration is that we Labour to refute There is a two-fold Tolleration of Error There is a Church Tolleration and a State Tolleration A Church Tolleration is That whereby it is pleaded that Error and Heresy should have liberty to be vented and go free even from Church Censure such as suspension from the Sacraments or Excommunication There are but few Sectaries of any note that plead for Tolleration in this Latitude and that because the Scripture is so plain against it Paul sayes An Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject Therefore they are content that Church-censures such as Excommunication be inflicted on Hereticks providing First that they be free from Civil censure Secondly That Excommunication be inflicted for no Error but for these that are contrary to fundamental points of Truth or as some say contrary to the very light of Nature Upon these and no other will they have Excommunication to strike Though this be not the main question which we are to insist upon Yet we shall lay down some assertions contrary to their Doctrine even in this point And First we do not see what reason can be brought to exeem Hereticks from civil Censure but the same may be brought to exeem them from Church Censures also If Conscience as they say be free from the one what reason but it should be free from the other also And if fear of civil Censure against those who Err do as they say enforce the Conscience and make People Hypocrites we see not but the fear of Church Censures may do the same Or if notwithstanding of Church Censures the Conscience is not forced the Service not constrained which they grant then notwithstanding of Civil Censure it is not forced or the Service constrained either And so from their own grounds this vast Tolleration of Error falls to the ground Secondly We cannot assent to that which they affirm that Excommunication is not to be inflicted for any Error but these which are contrary to fundamental points of Religion and that because Christ gives us a rule upon what faults Excommunication should strick to wit on every scandalous Fault done against a Brother or the Church wherein the Offender persists obstinate and will not be reclaimed So Matth. 18. 17. And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the
it followeth not that therefore they have no power to punish Error no more than because that a Godless Magistrate as Nero was may abuse his power to oppress Murther honest Citizens and do other Acts of Injustice against the second Table that therefore the Magistrate hath no power to punish Theeves Robbers Murderers because either through mistake or wickedness he may abuse it to punish innocent Men whatever remedy is left for the Magistrates abusing of his power under the one the same is left under the other as insome cases suffering in others resisting There is an Eighth Objection they have against this Truth say they we make the mean unproportionate to the end no outward force can convert a man and brâ—ng him to Christ it makes men but Hypocrites the blast of the Kings horn or outlawry can make no man a member of Christs body that must be done willingly not by compulsion and this were to cudgell People out of their opinions To this we Answer That our Doctrine doth not hold forth that the power of the Magistrate is any mean to convert Souls Only this it doth hold forth that the power of the Magistrate is a mean to restrain men from doing sinful Acts against Christ as Asa made use of his Civil Power to keep down Idolatry it puts People indeed on the profession of outward Obedience and to this it is very proportioned And therefore Secondly Though the blast of the Kings horn cannot make a Member of Christs invisible Body by working Grace Yet it may be a mean in its own kind for making a Member of the Church visible by with-holding from sinful Acts and putting them on Acts of outward Obedience A Third Answer we give That the power of the Magistrate doth not make men Hypocrites of it self but through the corruption of Man's heart who makes himself an Hypocrite The end of this ordinance what it is in it self is set down in Deut 13. 11. And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you That is the end that they being moved by their Example should abstain from such like worke but that they do this Hypocritically is from their corrupt nature who fears him more who can kill the Body than him who after he hath killed the Body can cast both Soul and Body into Hell We Answer lastly if this were a good Argument why a Magistrate should not make use of his power to punish for false Doctrine because throw occasion thereof many turn Hypocrites then say we It should follow that the Magistrate should not make use of his power to punish Incests Adulteries Murders Thefts c. because it is the occasion of many Hypocrites who abstain more from such for the fear of punishment than for the fear of God yea according to this Doctrine it should follow That the Preaching of the word should be unlawful because through the occasion of it many turn Hypocrites under it There is a Ninth Objection they have against this Truth and it is this say they By this power we give to the Magistrate to punish Error and Heresy we give him the Power of Church Judicatories to judge of Doctrines Error and Heresy In Answer to this we shall speak more fully in the 〈◊〉 Doctrine only for the present this giving Power to the Magistrate to punish Error and Heresy gives him not a publick Judgement to discern what is Error and what not as a Judge in Church matters but only a Judgement of Discretion in relation to his own Act As for Example when the Lord gives Power to Masters of Families not to let Hereticks come into their House it is not a putting the Power of Church Judicatories in their Hands IV. The last thing we promised to speak to you of was to give you some use of this And the First is to reprove those who think Opinions are free and that none ought to be punished for such We grant as we said that there would be a difference amongst Errors some more damnable some less and so to be less punished and there is a difference to be put amongst persons some are seduced some whose Conscience is Seared some venting their Darkness some seeking Light In such there should be a difference observed Again the Magistrate is to deal one way with a Community another way with some persons before it come to such an hight And Lastly He is to deal otherwise with Errors that cannot be mantained without troubling the Peace of the Church and State and those that break not Love nor strike not at any material point of Truth the last happily may be Tollerate if the Maintaineâ—s of them do not evidence contempt But not so the first These and such like Distinctions may be to qualify this Power but to deny it altogether is the most damnable Doctrine that ever was vented the Devil cannot take a shorter course to undoe Religion and there can be no heart zealous for God but he must loath it and therefore look so on it Think not what is that to you what others do if ye get leave to serve God your self Is that all your zeal for God that if ye get leave to serve him ye care not that all beside you Spit on his Face and serve the Devil Vse 2. Hence see what an Account those Magistrates have to make who make no use of their Power this way for God if they get their own Houses built cares not for his if Rebellion against themselves be curbed cares not for the curbing of Rebellion against God This was the Sin of the Parliament of England though they entred into a Covenant with the most high God That they would suppress Error and Heresy they never employed their Power that way and that because they durst not for angring of their Army and therefore God hath suffered their Army to overturn them and set themselves and whom they please in their place And now they by their practice give Tolleratâ—on to all and this is the way to strengthen them I say in the Name of the Lord if they repent not it shall be the way to ruine them A people Swearing in their low condition to root out Heresy c. And God blessing them from that day and within a few years carrying themselves as if they had Sworn to do the contrary to suffer all encourage all invite all the Devils in Hell to vent what Blasphemies they please and for their encouragement to give them Surety that no Power in Brittain shall hinder them Was there ever such an affront done to God Think ye that he will sit with it No if he should make the one half avengers of a broken Covenant against the other He will not It is noted of Asa 2 Chron. 14. 5. Gods way to keep Magistrates sure and their Kingdoms quiet is to be zealous against false Worship No but say they the way is not to anger Hereticks they
The Magistrate hath much power about Church matters but he hath no Church-power properly so called that belongeth only to Christs own officers Secondly For clearing of the question take this Assertion what we deny to the Christian Magistrate in the power of Governing the Church we deny it to him only as a Magistrate for so we laid it down in the conclusion to be proved A Magistrate as a Magistrate hath no power in Governing the Church otherwise if a Christian Magistrate be chosen an Elder he hath power of Church Government being joyned with the rest Only we say as a Magistrate he hath no power to Govern the Church II. We come to the Second thing which is our Arguments to confirm the Truth And the first Argument is this That Jesus Christ hath given no warrand to the Civil Magistrate for the Government of his Church and therefore he hath no right to it 1 We say that Christ in his word hath given no warrand to the Magistrate for Governing his Church And this will appear from all these places where mention is made of any warrand given to any of Church Government There is no word of the Christian Magistrate in any of them only mention is made of Apostles Ministers and Elders so in Matth 16. 19. The power of Governing the Church to bind and loose is given to Peter in the name of the rest of the Apostles but no word of the Civil Magistrate And Matth 18. 17. the power of Excommunication is given to the Church and if he shall neglect to hear them 〈…〉 be c. The Church of Ministers and Elders hath the power but no word of the Civil Magistrate And so in Timoth and Titus the scope of which Epistles is to instruct Ministers concerning the right way of Governing the Church what is spoken there is spoken to them and to Ministers succeeding to them but there is no mention of the Civil Magistrate And therefore we may conclude he hath no right from Jesus Christ for Governing the Church And what he would challenge of that kind is but an usurpation and intruding unto that to which he hath no right Our second Argument is If the power of the Church Government belong to a Magistrate as a Magistrate then it belongeth to every Magistrate but this were absurd We say if the power of Governing the Church did belong to a Magistrate as a Magistrate then it should belong to every Magistrate for whatever belongs to one as such belongs to all such Now this hath many absurdities following on it For by this Rule Heathen Magistrates might have power of Church Government and be Church Governours which were absurd For they are not Church Members Then Secondly Women might be Church Governours for they may be Magistrates in some cases and yet they may not speak in the Church Yea Thirdly By this it should follow that Children not come to age might have the power of Church Government for they may be Magistrates when Magistracy goeth by succession Now Children cannot have the power of Church Government for that power is not to be Exercised by deputies but by the persons themselves who are intrusted with it A Third Argument to confirm the Truth is this That Magistrates as Magistrates are not Church Officers And therefore they have no power to Govern the Church The consequence is clear for if Magistrates have power to Govern the Church then they must be Church Officers if any thing make a man a Church Officer then power to Govern the Church will do it for State Government and State Officers are Relata and have a mutual Relation one to another and so must Church Government and Church Officers have a mutual Relation one to another But in the next place it is evident That a Magistrate as a Magistrate is no Church Officer and that because among all that roll set down in the word of God wherein Christ reckons up his Officers there is no mention made of the Civil Magistrate Ephes 4. There is a roll verse 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers But no word of the Civil Magistrate and in Rom 12 6 7. There is an other roll of Church officers but no word of of the Civil Magistrate whether prophecy let us prophecy according to the proportion of Faith Or Ministery let us wait on our Ministering or he that teacheth on teaching c. But neither in this place or any other is there any mention of the Civil Magistrate Only some of our Adversaries mutter somewhat of 1 Cor 12. 28. That by Governments there mentioned is meaned the Christian Magistrate but it is easily refuted for the text speaketh evidently of such Governours as the Church had at that time And God hath set some in the Church c. Now the Church at that time had no Christian Magistrate nor for above 200 years after So by Governments cannot be meaned the Christian Magistrate but the Ruling Elder who is often spoken of in other places Our Fourth Argument to prove this point is That the Church did enjoy full power of Government within her self and accordingly did exercise it near 300 years before any Magistrate was a Christian and so the Church hath this power within her self yet For the first part of the Argument it is evident if we consider First That which is not controverted to wit that in the space of 300 years after Christ there was not a Magistrate a Christian If we consider Secondly That all this time the Church had full power of Church Government within her self and therefore Paul sayes to Timothy 1 Tim 4. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery So they had power of Ordination Power also to dispence Censures as Excommunication 1 Cor 5. 4 5 When ye are gathered together To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh c. And they had power to relax from Excommunication So 2 Cor 2 6. Where Paul commands to relax the Excommunicate man from that Sentence Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many v. 7. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him c. Fourthly They had Synods meeting together making binding Canons to guide the Church Act 15. The Synod of Apostles Elders and Brethren meet together determine a controversie and Censure those who had troubled the Church Thus the first part of the Argument is made out to wit That the Church did enjoy full power of Discipline within her self long before any Magistrate became Christian And therefore it followes that this power is yet in the Churches hand and not in the Magistrates And that because if the Church at that time had right to dispence this power as undoubtedly she had then they must make it appear how Christ took this right from her and
transferred it to the Civil Magistrate which they cannot do Our fifth Argument is to obviate that which they say That Ministers are but the Magistrates deputes From which we argue thus If Church Officers in inflicting Censures be the Magistrates deputs then whatever the Church Judicatory does the Magistrate may do it also for none can delegate more right to ther than what he hath himself And so by this it should follow that the Magistrate might ordain Misters himself by imposition of hands he might Excommunicate And if he may do this by consequence he might also Preach Administrate the Sacraments c. For what right can be pretended to the one which may not be extended to the other and so there should be no need of Pastors and Teachers but the Magistrate might do all Our last Argument is taken from the distinction which the Scripture holdeth out betwixt Ecclesiastick and Civil power Scripture condemneth Church-mens usurping the Civil power and States-mens usurping the Church power Church men are forbidden to judge or meddle with Civil things by Christ himself Luk 12. 13 14. 22 25. And so the Civil Magistrate may not meddle with Church power either There are two Kings we read of to be heavily punished for their Transgression in this kind Saul for offering a Burnt-offering 1 Sam 13. 13. And Vzziah for burning Incense 2 Chorn. 26. 19. He would go in and burn Incense And therefore the Lord smites him with leprosie And surely Reason would say if it be a sin for Church Officers to Exercise the Civil Government then it is a sin for the Civil Magistrate to take to himself the only supream power of Church Government and ingross it wholy to himself III. We come to the Third thing we promised to speak to And that was the answering of the Opposites Arguments The first Argument they bring against this Truth is That Godly Magistrates under the Old Testament had the power of Church Government And therefore so should Christian Magistrates have it under the New Wee Answer That their Argument proves nothing except they also prove that what power of Church Government Magistrates had then they had it as Magistrates For we grant indeed what did belong to Magistrates as Magistrates under the Old Testament does belong to Magistrates under the New But it may not be granted that that which belonged to Magistrates then under other respects doth belong to Magistrates yet For clearing of this It is to be observed that there were many Magistrates extraordinary men under the Old Testament So Moses gives out Laws and Ordinances for ordering the Church But we find in Deut 18. 15. Moses was a great Prophet and a Type of Christ. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken So David appointed the office of the Levites that divided their courses But David was a Prophet 2. Chron 8 14. And he appointed according to the order of David his father the courses of the Priests to their service Thus in another place it is shown how David did this at the direction of other Prophets 2 Chron. 29. 25. And he set the Levites in the House of the Lord with Cymbals with Psalters and with Harps according to the Commandment of David and of Gad the Kings seer and Nathan the Prophet For so was the Commandment of the Lord by his Prophets And so from these and such like practices they can no more infer the Power of the Magistrate now in Church matters than we may infer the Power of Church-men in Civil-matters from the example of Church-men under the Old-Testament For Church-men did meddle with Civil-Matters in extraordinary Cases As Eli the Priest He governed the State And Samuel in cutting Agag in pieces Elisha in Anointing Jehu to be King And Jehoâ—ada the Priest in causing kill Attaliah the Usurper and making Joash King All which we grant were extraordinary Acts and so cannot be an ordinary rule for Church-men to have such Power in Civil things now And so must they grant concerning these extraordinary practices of Civil Judges in medling sometimes with Church matters The Second Argument they use is this If so be that Magistrates were set over Church Officers to receive Appeals from them it would make them afraid to go beyond their Duty But if they have none above them there is danger of their Ambition and abusing of Discipline To which we answer First Ministers are Men indeed and as other men are ready to abuse their Power But if the danger of abusing Power be a good Argument to take Power from them then there should be no Power in the Hands of any For what kind of Men are there to be found who are not in danger to abuse their Power and so all must be left in Confusion We give a second answer That the same Argument may be used against the abuse of Preaching the Word and administrating the Sacraments For the danger is as great and yet the Erasitans the most part of them at least will not say that the Magistrate for preventing of this abuse may step into the Pulpit himself and Preach better and Administer the Sacraments better There is another way to curb that abuse and so is it in the matter of Governing the Church there is danger indeed of abusing that Power but we say in like manner that for that the Magistrate may not sit down and take the Power of Church Government himself There are other means left to prevent this danger Which shall be our Third Answer Wherein we shall show some of these means appointed by God for preventing the abuse of Power in the hands of the Church-Officers First There are some Remedies in the Church Power it self to wit The Subordination of Judicatories So that although a Congregational Eldership should wrest Justice yet there are above them Presbyteries and above them Synods and above them General Assemblies Now it may be conceived that an Act of Injustice will hardly get through all those before it be branded with some deserved mark But Secondly Though all Church Officers should connive one at another and so the Faults of Ministers go through unpunished yet there is some remedy left even in the Civil Power For although for the reasons foresaid he may not take upon him the Power of the Church Judicatory under pretence of Righting their Abuses no more than he may take upon him to Preach for preventing their abuse of Preaching Yet he may do several things 1. If Church Officers commit a civil Crime he may curb them by his own Authority 2. If Church Judicatories meddle to judge in Civil things which concern a mans Life or Estate the Magistrate may make null what they conclude and punish them for abuse of Power for therein they medled with what belonged not unto them 3. Grant the matter be meerly Ecclesiastick wherein they abuse their Power yet the
ground your self in this Truth It may cost you much and though it should stand you never so much it is worth the avowing Christ himself suffered on this account as we have already shown and others of his servants have thought it their Glory to be called unto suffering for it Who am I saith Master Welsh That he hath not only called me to be a Preacher of glad things but also to be a sufferer for his cause and Kingdom To wittness that good confession That Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that his Church is a most free Kingdom Yea as free as any Kingdom under Heaven That she is free in her Government from all other Jurisdiction on Earth except only Christs We are waiting saith he with joyfulness to leave the last Testimony of our blood for the confirmation of this Truth If it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity Thus He. And who knowes how soon he may honour some of us with that dignity A dignity indeed to suffer for the Royal Crown and Diadem of Our Lord Jesus SECT IV. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF Independency Head I. The Power of Church Government is in the Church Officers and not in the Body of Church-Members THE dayes by-past we spake against the Doctrine of Erastianism And shew you that however it had many fair pretences yet it is to be reckoned among those Doctrines which are not of God We are now with the Lords assistance to speak against the Doctrine of Independency Ye Remember when we entered on these controversies about Church Government We shew you there were Four points of Truth which we should Labour to make good The first was That Jesus Christ the head of his Church had appointed in his word a way for the Governing and Ruling of his Church and that he had not left it to the power of the Civil Magistrate King or Parliament To establish what way of Government they please The second point was That this Government of the Church which Christ established in his word was not in the hands of the Civil Magistrate to be Executed by him Thir two points we have made good in our former Disputs against Erastianism The third point of Truth is this That Jesus Christ the head of the Church hath not committed the power of Governing his Church unto the Body of Believers To the community of Church Members but hath established it in the hands of his own officers Ministers and Elders The Fourth point of Truth which we promised to prove was this That Jesus Christ the head of the Church hath not given particular Elderships and Church Sessions the Supream power of Church Government in their hands so as that there should be none above them to call them to an account But that they are subject in the Lord to Superior Church Judicatories such as Presbytries Synods and General Assemblies These two last points we are to make out in Refuting this Doctrine of Independency This Error of Independency above all other we may call a fountain Error It is the Sluce whereby an entrance is made to all other Errors of what sort soever This is the Error whereby the most part of those that hath fallen from the way of Truth these years by past have been first hooked They first turned Independents yet rested not long there but proceeded from evil to worse Our scope shall be in this as in the former points to show That however it hath many fair pretences yet when it is brought to the Tryal it will be found not to be of God There are two main heads of this Error of Independency opposit to the two last points of Truth which we promised to make out The first is That whereby they affirm That Jesus Christ has given the power of Governing the Church unto all those that are Members of the Church Although they be not Ministers or Elders To the community of believers as they call it The second Head of their Error is this They do affirm that Jesus Christ hath intrusted particular Congregations Elderships or Church Sessions with the highest power of Church Government on earth so that there is no Judicatory above them to call them to an account As for the first Head of their Error which we are to speak against at this time Therein they have different Opinions among themselves some affirming that the power of Governing the Church is given to the Body of Church Members the community of Believers without the Minister and Elders yea a power over them to ordain them Censure depose them and inflict all other Church Censures Others give them this power conjunctly with the Church Officers Ministers and Elders Secondly Some give only the power and Authority to Govern to the Church Members But for the Exercise of that power they allow it to the Elders Yet so as to the Peoples deputs to whom they must give an account Others give the People not only the power and Authority but also the Exercise of this Government So that the People may sit down in Church Judicatories themselves enact Church Canons inflict Church Censures c. Thirdly Some give them the Exercise of this power only in some things as the Excercise of the power of Jurisdiction to make Church Canons and inflict Church Censures But not to Preach Others give them a full Exercise of Authority to do all We in opposition to all these lay down this conclusion which we shall Labour to make good from the word of God and solid Reason to wit That Jesus Christ hath not given to the Body of Church Members or to private Christians either the power or Exercise of Church Government neither in whole nor in part but hath intrusted it wholly to his own Officers Ministers and Elders I prosecuting this point we shall follow forth the former Method First We shall clear the State of the Question Secondly Bring Arguments for the Truth And Thirdly We shall propone and answer their Arguments brought against the Truth And Fourthly We shall shall apply the whole to some use I. For clearing the state of the Question Thâ—a it may be known what we do grant to private Christians and what we deny several distinctions would be given First There is difference betwixt Church power or Authority and Christian priviledges We do grant several Christian priviledges to private Christians but these do not infer any Church power or Authority of Governing the Church As for Example We do grant to the People a Power of Electing their own Officers Ministers or Elders we grant to them a power to try the Spirits whether they be of God i e They are not to believe blindly what Ministers say but have a power to Try what they say in Relation to their practice To pass a Judgment of discretion upon it whether it be according to the word or not We grant these priviledges to the People but none of them doth
infer any Church power which we clear in both First The Peoples power in Electing their Minister doth not infer any power of Church Government in them and that because it is not the Peoples Election or their choise that makes the Minister to be a Minister or gives him Authority to Exercise the Ministerial calling but it is the Act of Ordination by imposition of the hands of those who are Church Officers that makes the man the Minister and gives him Authority We shall find this Acts 6 3. where the Peoples Election and Ordination by Church Officers is clearly distinguished Wherefore Brethren say the Apostles look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom there is the Peoples Election whom we may appoint over this busines There is the Church Officers part Though the People look them out and choise them that gives them not the power of their calling untill the Church Officers appoint and ordain them Secondly The power of trying the Spirits doth not infer any such power or Authority of Government in the People otherwise it should follow that the People of Berea who did try Pauls Doctrine Act. 17. 11. And compared it with the word whetber those things were so had Authority over Paul which none will affirm A Second distinction to clear the state of the Question is this There is a great difference betwixt those to whom the Authority of Governing the Church is given and those for whom or for whose good it is given although we deny that the power of Governing the Church is given to private Believers yet we grant it is given for them So all Ordinances are given for the good of Believers As it is Ephes 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets aud some Evangilists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints c. and in this respect 1 Cor 3. 21 22. all is said to be theirs For all things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours i. e. given for their good But hence it will not follow that because Church Discipline is given for them that therefore they have the power of it for in this respect Paul is given to every particular believing Woman and yet it does not follow that Women have Pauls Authority And so the Body of the particular Church hath not this power in their hands although the power be given for their good A Third thing for understanding the State of the Question We do willingly grant to private Christians power to admonish exhort in the Lord out of Charity and this they may extend even to Ministers say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministry But this Liberty to admonish by way of Charity doth not import any Church power in them over those whom they rebuke no more than Pauls rebuking of Peter Gal 2. 14. doth infer a power in Paul above Peter So ye see what we do grant to private Christians and what we deny The sum whereof is this That Jesus Christ hath not given them any power of Church Government or the Exercise of it either in whole or in part but has intrusted it wholly to his own Officers Ministers and Elders This for clearing the state of the Question II. We come now to Arguments for clearing the Truth And the First is this That Jesus Christ hath given no warrand to private Christians for Governing his House or for the Exercise of this Government and therefore they have no right to it The consequence must be clear For none has right to play the part of a Governour in Christs Church except those who have a warrand in his word for it Now that private Christians have no warrand in his word for Governing the Church either expresly or by good consequence either by precept or promise or any thing else it is clear from this that in several places of the Word this power is denyed unto them So Rom 10. they must not exercise the Power of Preaching for how shall they Preach except they â—e sent v. 15. Now the whole communiâ—y of Believers cannot be sent besides they have no ability to discharge this Office there is but one of a Thousand that can convince gainsayers Is apt to teach that is able to cut and divide the word aright and so they have no power to Preach And Secondly From this it will follow that they have no power to Administrate the Sacraments for Christ Jesus hath joyned both these powers in one Commission He gives no power to any to Aministrate the Sacraments but those to whom he gives power also to Preach Matth 28 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations Baptizing them- c Power of Preaching and Administrating the Sacraments go together And so seeing the one power is denyed to them the other must be denyed also Thirdly They have no power to ordain Ministers or to execute any other act of Church Jurisdiction for they have no ability to try Ministers gifts there is no precept commanding them to do it there is no practice in the New Testament proving that ever they did it as shall be more fully cleared in answering the Arguments they bring for it And so they have no right to Govern the Church The Second Argument for the Truth is this That this Doctrine of theirs whereby they give the power of Governing the Church to private Christians doth overturn the order established by Jesus Christ in his House And therefore they have no right to it The consequence none may doubt of For nothing appointed by God doth evert the order established by himself Now that this Doctrine of theirs whereby they put the power of Governing the Church in the hands of the People doth evert the order appointed by Christ is clear Because his order is That some be watchmen some watched over some Rulers some to submit some Governours some to be Governed some Sheepherds some the flock But if so be that all the Members of the Church had the power of Governing in their hand then all should be overseers watchmen Rulers Governours and none more than another If so be that power to Govern should flow from this That they are Church Members For all are so alike The Third Argument we bring for the Truth is this That to whomsoever Christ Jesus hath given warrand for Governing the Church to those he gives promises of sutable abilities for discharging of that great Trust But so it is that Jesus Christ hath not gifted neither promise to gift every Christian nor yet requireth He answerable gifts for Government from them And therefore he hath given them no warrand for Governing the Church For the first part of the Argument that those to whom he gives the power of Church Government he doth also promise them sufficient abilities for their Trust is clear For how could it stand with the wisdom
Church-member then every Church-member is bound in Conscience to attend all Church Judicatories to wait on the deciding of all Ecclesiastical questions But what inevitable confusion would follow on this How long time would it take to inform People about the Circumstances of things How tedious would it be to hear every mans judgment to the point And what distractions would it be to Peoples Callings This certainly would bring great confusion And so such a Power as this cannot be from God who is the God of Order These are now the Arguments for the Truth III. In the next place we shall answer their Arguments brought against the Truth The first they use is grounded on Coloss. 4. 17. A command There is given to the Body of Believers in reference to the Minister Say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord. From this they infer That People have Power to Censure their Minister And so have Church Authority We answer They make much of this Argument and yet it is little worth For they build their Power to Censure upon this that they have Power to Say A poor reason So Matth. 18. 17. Say to the Church or tell the Church It is the same word that is here used But to infer from this that one man had Authority over the Church were very ridiculous Surely if he had commanded a judicial act of Authority he would have said Command and Charge Archippus with all Authority as in the like case he speaks to Timothy But as we shew in the state of the question private Christians have Power to exhort and admonish one another yea their Pastors But this doth not import any Power of Church-Government over others else women who are not permitted to speak in the Church should have Power of Church-Government to make Church Canons Censure and Ordain their Ministers For they are bound to exhort and admonish as occasion offers Obj. 2. A second Argument they bring from Act. 11. 1. When Peter comes up to Jerusalem verse 3. the people Challenge him saying Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them and verse 4 He begins to clear himself to them and rehearsed the matter from the beginning c. And from this they reason thus That the Church hath Power to call Peter to an account And therefore they have Power to Censure for Scandals It s answered first Besides the People there were Apostles and Brethren There verse 1. Secondly We answer It doth not follow because Peter purgeth himself of a Scandal unjustly laid upon him That therefore they had Power to Censure him For every Christian is bound to clear himself to another Christian of that which he is stumbled within his carriage yet one private Christian hath not Church Power over another to Censure So Peter was bound to clear himself before any one of them and if he had done wrong to take with it but that That one could not be a Church Judicatory having Power to inflict Censure on Peter our Opposits themselves will grant Obj. 3. A Third Argument they bring against the Truth is from Revel 2. 14. I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam The Spirit of God here is wriâ—ing to the Church of Pergamus And after he hath commended them for their Doctrine he reproves them for not exercising Discipline against these Hereticks to wit Balaam Iesabel and the Nicolattans Now from this they argue The whole Church is reproved here for not executing Discipline against these Hereticks and therefore they had power to do it Otherwise they would not have been reproved for the neglect of it But that all were reproved they prove from vers 13. and its connection with the 14. say they these who are commended in the 13. are rebuked in the 14 verse I know thy Works and where thou dwellest even where Sathan's seat is c. But so it is that not only the Ministers and Elders but all the People dwelt where Sathan's Seat was Therefore they all are reproved Answer It followeth well that they are all reproved for one fault But not that they were accessory to it after one and the same way It was the Rulers part judicially to cast out these vile Hereticks It was the Peoples part to have stirred up the Rulers to it Now because these were neglected on both hands both have their own guilt and so both reproved for their respective guilt The People are reproved for not Mourning to God for the tollerating such like abominations and their not stirring up the Rulers to take course with them But it will not follow that they were reproved for not sitting down in the Judicatory and inflicting Censures themselves That was the Rulers fault And therefore we deny that they are all rebuked for their accession to that guilt in the same way And we clear it thus Doubtless the Teachers did not teach against these vile Hereticks Now there were Women there and yet surely they are not rebuked for not Preaching against them for They ought to be silent in the Church So their fault as of all other Church Members was of another kind to wit Their not Mourning nor stirring up the Officers And so it followes that it was their Duty to Mourn stir others up to their Duty which we grant But not to exercise the Power themselves for that is not the thing they are reproved for Obj. 4. The Fourth Objection is grounded on Mat 18 17 If he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Publican Whence say they the power of Church Censure is in the hand of the Church but so it is Church Officers are never called the Church Neither can they be so called without the Body of the People Therefore the power of the Church Censures is in the hand of the Body of the People Wee Answer This Argument will make more against them than us and that because they grant that neither Women nor Children have hand in Church Government but only professing Men Now they shall get no place in Scripture wherein the name of the Church is given to the Body of the Men Assembled without Women and Children Secondly We grant that the name of the Church is very sparingly given to Officers without the People Yet we say 1. 't is given them in some places As for Example Acts 18. 22. It is said of Paul When he had landed at Caesarea and gone up and saluted the Church c. Now by the Church here certainly cannot be meaned the body of professâ—rs which did amount to many thousands of People as shall appear from Acts 21. 20. In its own time So by the Church must be meaned the Chief men and Rulers of the Church For Paul having so short time to stay he seeing them but at the by could
Excommunicate the Incestous Person To deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Now say they this command is given unto all the Church because there is no exception and therefore not to Elders only As also the command is as large as the reproof in v. 2. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned c. Now sure it is there were moe reproved than the Church Officers And therefore the command belongs to others than these In Answering this Argument we shall first retort it on themselves For if so be the Argument hold good it would follow that Women and Children had power of Excommunication for if the command be to all without exception then they are not excepted and if the command be given to all to whom the reproof is given then it is to them for doubtless Women and Children mourned no more than the men And so they should have power to Excommunicate also Now this were absurd and against themselves And so the two main pillars whereon they build their Argument fall to the ground to wit That the command is given to all without exception And that it is of a like latitude with the reproof But Secondly We Answer to the point That all who are acquaint with Scripture know that God useth to give commands indefinitly to the whole Church which he will not have applyed to every one in the Church but only to those persons to whom according to their respective callings interest or relations the command doth belong We shall make this clear from 1 Cor 14. 31. Where Paul speaketh generally to the Saints at Corinth ye may all Prophecy one by one c. The command is given indefinitly to all and yet sure it is not the Apostles mind that all to whom he writs should do this but only they who had abilities and a Call to it and therefore he sayes in the preceeding 12 chap. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. So in 1 Thess 5. 13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake c. Now if this be a duty lying on all to whom the Epistle is directed then the Ministers had been to esteem highly to themselves for their own works sake For the Epistle is written to them among the rest now this were absurd and so it must be intended for the People So is it here the command is given indefinitly to all yet the matter is not to be done by all but only by some to wit the Church officers and this appeareth evidently from 2 Cor. 2. 6. He was speaking to them concerning the same case in hand to wit the relaxing of the incestous man from Excommunication and sayes he Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many Now he doth not say Inflicted of all as they would make the words bear but inflicted of many Yea as the learned observe the word many signifieth The chief ones It is the same word that is Matth 12. 41 a greater than Jonas So Paul explaines himself That it was not all but the chief Ones to wit the Rulers by whom the Censure was to be inflicted And this now for Answering their Objections IV. In the nixt place we shall come and apply the whole purpose to a threefold Use. And the first is Seeing this Error as we have now made evident it is not of God I would have you suspecting fair pretences that a Doctrine may be coloured over with There is no Error that hath a fairer pretence than This hath it is the liberty of the Saints say they should not they judge others A fair pretence And yet it is but the same that Korah Dathan and Abiram had and so we need to stumble the less at it Ye take too much upon you said they seing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them c. Numb-16 3. The Second Vse is to private Christians that ye would do your duty And Secondly Content your selves with your duty And first do your duty whereof many come short Doubtless many at the hearing of this Doctrine will cast off all care seeing the care of the Church is laid on the Officers thereof Ministers and Elders Nay but as we shew in the clearing of the State of the Question although power of Governing the Church be not in the hands of all believers yet there is a duty lying on them to admonish and exhort even their Ministers say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministry Yea it is a duty lying on private Christians that when your private Admonition doth not the business ye are bound to delate it to the Church We see this Matth 16. Where Christs institutes this order v 16. 1. To tell thy Brother privatly and if that will not do bring two or three moe Witnesses with thee then if that do it not tell it to the Church so it is a duty lying on every Church member to admonish and rebuke even their Ministers and Elders to stir them up when slack and when that will not do to tell it to others And we would charge you to make more conscience of this duty than usually ye do A second part of your duty we told you was to try the spirits in reference to your practice ye are not bound to take a Doctrine on trust from Ministers tho Apostles Nay not from Angels Though we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have Preached unto you let him be accursed Galat. 1. 8. And private Christians come short of this part of their duty also many seeking no other Reason of their Faith than what Ministers Preach it is a loose ground For ye are commanded to Try the Spirits But Secondly As ye would make Conscience of your duty so ye would content your selves with your duty ye would look on Church Officers and reverence them ye are not to say what is more in them than in our selves may we not be as fit as they they may erre as well as we Grant it be so yet they are Gods Ordinance appointed by the God of order and he who reproacheth them reproacheth his ordinance and breaketh down the hedge appointed by God The Third Vse is directed to Church Officers Those whom the Lord hath instructed with this power Ye would make use of it for Edification and not for destruction ye should so carry your selves in your places as not to tempt the People of God to despise your Office When the Lords People hear of an Elder to be a Tipler or a Swearer it is a temptation to them to despise both that Elder and his Office Many surely in this are stumbling blocks to People As Eli's Sons made the People abhorr the offering of the Lord. The Truth is it is no great wonder that the Government of the Church be losing weight
in the minds of many if it were but for this one Reason that they who are intrusted with it do not Labour to beautify it It is looked on by many as a place of respect and not of Office If a man be Richer than his neighbour he thinks he is not respected if he be not an Elder and having goten the name he cares for no more Now is that the way either to make People respect thy Person or thy Office Let me obtest and charge all of you who have taken on this Heavenly Calling as ye will Answer on your hazard to Jesus Christ the chief sheepherd that ye would study by all means so to walk in it as to beautify it and that so much the more as the Devil is Labouring to disgrace it And this now for the First Head of Independency Head II. The highest Power of Church Government is not in Church-Sessions or Congregational Elderships WE come now to the Second Head And it is That for which mainly they are called Independents The point they affirm is this That every particular Church Session or Congregational Eldership is instructed with the highest power of Church Government on Earth so that there is no power in the Church above them to call them to an account when they go wrong to rescind any Act once concluded though it were never so unjust They grant that a Synod of Ministers and Elders may meet to consult about matters but withall affirm that they have no Ecclesiasticall power to command in the Lord any Congregation whatsoever So that if a man be wronged by a Session As for instance if he be unjustly censured as it may very readily fall out he must sit with his wrong there is no power to right it till Christ come in the Clouds Or if a particular Congregation divide turn Hereticks run wrong as many of the Independent Congregations doe there is no Church power to heal the breach unless it be by giving an advice which they may either follow or not follow as likes them best We again grant That particular Elderships have a power from Jesus Christ to Exercise Discipline in these things which concern the Congregation in particular But as for other things of more publick concernment that is to say Things that concern other Congregations as well as them these ought to be handled by a Superior Judicatory And that even in those things of particular concernment They are lyable to Appeals and the inspection of the Superior Judicatory So that wherein they shall be found wrong partial or Erronious They may be called to an account For shewing the fashood of this Error as also for the vindicating of the Government of the Church of Scotland that is now so much spoken against we shall labour to make out with the Lords assistance these Three Truths from the word of God The first it this That besides the power of Church Government that Christ hath given to particular Elderships There is also holden forth in his word A plat-form or a Copy of the Government of many Congregations by one Presbytry over them all in common The Second Truth that we shall make out is this That besides the Church Government that Christ hath established by Presbytries there is also holden out in the word greater Church Judicatories to wit Synods made up of Commissioners from several Presbytries instructed with power of Church Government from Christ also And Thirdly We shall labour to make out this Truth That the inferior Judicatories are to be Subject to the Superior as Sessions to Presbytries Presbytries to Synods Synods to General Assemblies So that the Superior judicatories have power over the Inferior in the Lord to receive Appeals from them and complaints 〈◊〉 them to Censure them for Miscarying in the matter of Discipline and to enact Church Canons or conclusions binding to them which Inferior Judicatories are bound to obey in the Lord. ¶ I. There is a Platform of the Government of many Congregations by one common Presbytery holden out in Scripture COncerning the State of this Question I only premit this That however we have the very name of this Presbytry whereabout we dispute holden out in 1 Tim 4. 14. Whereby I might easily show is meaned the Presbytry we plead for yet we shall not dispute about names Though the Name were not yet it is sufficient that the Thing be in it And this we shall make good to wit That in Scripture is holden out a pattern of the Government of many Congregations by one common Presbytry The proof of this point we might instance almost in all the Churches that were planted in the Apostles time As in the Church of Jerusalem The Church of Antioch Ephesus Thessalonica Corinth and of Rome We might easily make it appear that those Churches were not single Congregations but Presbyterial Churches under one common Government But in stead of spending of time in pointing out this in all these Churches we shall instance it only in the Church of Ierusalem That by this One ye may know what to judge of the rest And first concerning the Church of Jerusalem planted by the Apostles we shall labour to make out thir two things 1. That in that one Church there were many particular Congregations And 2. That all these particular Congregations made up but one Church and was guided by one common Presbytry and Judicatory set over them all in common Which two being made out the point we intend will appear evidently to wit That there was here a Government set over many Congregations in one common Judicatory such as our Presbytry is over all the particular Church-Sessions in the bounds The first thing we shall make out is this That there were moe Congregations in the Church of Jerusalem than one and this from four grounds First From the multitude of Church Members that were in Jerusalem Secondly From the multitude of Pastors Teachers and Elders that were there moe than could get work in one single Congregation Thirdly From the diversities of Languages that were among the People of that Church And Fourthly From the way of their meeting and the place they resorted to for Gods service And first For the multitude of Church Members that was at Jerusalem If we compare place with place we will find that they amounted to many thousands and so behooved to be moe than one single Congregation Take a view of some of these places Acts 1. 15. they are numbred to be about ane hundred and twenty And Act. 2. 41. there are added unto them about three thousand Souls and then in v. 47. There is daily Addition of moe and moe the Lord added unto the Church daily such as should be saved Act. 4. 4. We see yet a greater increase There are about five thousand and the nuâ—ber of the men was about five thousand concerning which five thousand it is necessarly to be understood that they were added presently excluding the rest of the numbers before
nothing of publick Scandals Not as if Jesus Christ did mean that publick Scandals should be passed over but that the same Rule may serve for these keeping the just proportion Even so is it here If the nature of Synods be held out in the Word that is enough though it speak nothing of the bounds to which they should extend whether of One Province or of All the Provinces of a Nation no more than it is particularly set down in Scripture what should be the number and bounds of a particular Congregation There is a Third thing for clearing of this Question The Independents and we agree in this That the word gives ground for meeting of Synods only we differ about their Power They grant that in case of Division or Scandal Synods may meet and give their Advice in Matters doubtful only they say that Synods have no Power of Jurisdiction to command others in the Lord to embrace their determinations We on the other hand maintain that they have this Power and that the Scripture holdeth out such a Power belonging to them II. We might instance this in Act 1 In the choice of Matthias which was done by no particular Church For here were the Apostles whose Paroch-Church was the whole world Here were the Brethren of Christ from Galilie v 14. Some from Jerusalem v. 15. This meeting did a Church business of common concernment to the whole Christian World and so behooved to be done by those who did represent them And therefore this behooved to be a General Council But to clear the point more fully we shall take Act 15. Where this Synod we plead for is held forth clearly The History is plain A difference ariseth in Antioch about Circumcision This cannot be composed in Antioch it self so they send up Commissioners to Jerusalem to determine this matter where there is a Synod of Apostles and Elders and they determine the Question Now that it may appear the Synod we plead for is here consider first That there was a Church meeting or Judicatory here None may doubt of this as is clear v 6. Secondly Consider That this Judicatory is made up of Commissioners from the several Presbyteries we see that Commissioners from the Presbytry of Jerusalem was there v 6. And Commissioners from the Presbytry of Antioch Act 15. 2 Paul and Barnabas and others Now that these were Commissioners and had voice appears from Act 16. 4. where the decree that was then made was ascrived to all the Elders who were present It is very likely that there were other Commissioners there also from Syria and Cilicia For they are joyned with Antioch in the Letter v. 23. For what other Reason cannot be imagined except that as they were alike troubled with the Heresy as Antioch was so they had their Commissioners there as Antioch had And therefore these Acts are binding to them in a special manner However it is clear that there were Commissioners from the Presbytry of Jerusalem and of Antioch so the meeting was made up of two Presbytries And by the same rule it may be made up of moe Thirdly We would consider that this meeting made up of Commissioners from several Presbytries makes binding Acts unto other absent Churches who were present only in their Commissioners And there are several things to clear this First They determine the Question in v 19. 20 Secondly They impose Their determination on the Churches to be keeped by them So in the Letters They wrote to the Church of Syria and Cilicia v 28. The word that is turned there a Burthen signifies a Law or a Decree and so we find it in Act 16. 4. There their Conclusions are called Decrees which were ordained of the Apostles and Elâ—ers at Jerusalem And which were to be keeped From all which it is clear They did make Acts binding other Congregations Thirdly We find they put forth an Act of Censure on the false Prophets v 24. They called them Lyars A brand of Infamy It 's true They Censured them not with Excommunication For it was time enough to doe That when they knew they were become incorrigibly obstinate according to the common Rule An Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject By this I hope ye perceive clearly a pattern for greater Synods a Judicatory made up of Commissioners from several Presbytries and these making binding Laws to other Churches who were absent in their Persons and only present in their Commissioners III. Their main Objection against this is That the Apostles were here who were guided with an infallible Spirit to determine and so this can be no Rule for our Synods made up of men wanting that assistance To this we Answer that this if it prove any thing will make against our Opposits themselves as well as against us For they hold that here is a pattern of a Synod for advice so if their Argument hold against Us in the One It must hold also against Them in the Other Secondly We shew before that the Apostles were also Elders and sometimes Acted as Elders Now if it can be proven that they Acted as Elders here it breaks the strength of their Objection But this is clear First Paul and Barnabas are sent by the Church of Antioch They willingly submit Act 15. 4 Now in their Apostolick Office they were not directed by meâ— And so surely here they acted not as Apostles Secondly The Apostles all along go not on that way as when guided by an infallible Apostolick Spirit For they state the Question and debate it in v 7. Now when they write Scripture they do not use advice nor do they debate what they shall conclude but speake all as immediatly inspired But here they debate And â—aving found Truth By force of Reason they conclude as any other Assembly upon like assurance of Scripture warrand may do It seemeth good unto Vs being Assembled with one accord c. In v 25. Thirdly When the Apostles did determine any thing as Apostles and were guided by the immediatly inspiring Spirit of God then they did determine the Question fully that nothing needed to be added But so it was not here For Peter v 6th gives his Judgment That Believers were freed from the Ceremonial Law What he saith is true indeed Yet it speaketh not fully to the point untill James addeth somewhat to wit That however the Gentils were freed from the Ceremonial Law yet to eschew the Scandal of the weak Jews They were to abstain from things strangled c v 20. And therefore They Acted not as Apostles except we would say that Peter as an Apostle intending to determine a Controversie yet did not speak fully to the point which were an injury to that immediately inspiring Spirit by which they were acted in penning Scripture Fourthly Because the decrees of the Synod are put forth in the name and by the Authority not only of the Apostles but Elders also Act 15. 22. 23. Act. 16. 4. Act. 21. 25. Now
the difference which they like best and hence arise contests Janglings and matter of renting the Church Now there is no way in Independency left for preventing of this Fifthly The way of Independency leaves no remedy to a Congregation wanting a Minister for Tryal of the next that comes Whose tryal is left wholly to the People by this way of Theirs How slight that tryal would be any may judge How few Parishes can try a Minister in his Abilities If he be apt to Preach convince gainsayers watch against ravening wolves c. Now this is remeeded in the way of Presbytery according to Pauls Rule 1 Tim 4. 14. That Ministers be ordained with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery This for the first Argument from Five great defects in the Independent way Other defects also might be instanced but these may suffice Our Second Argument is taken from Matth. 18. 16. 17. 18. where Jesus Christ layes down a way for the removing of private Scandals or dealing with an offending brother From whence we argue thus If Christ hath laid down a way for gaining an offending brother how much more for gaining an offending Church It s above all doubt that a Church may offend walk inoderly wrest Justice Now surely Gods care must be no less of the whole Church than of One Member So that our consequence holds but we assume There is no way to heal the Scandal of an offending Congregation or particular Church but by compleaning to a Presbyterial Church above them This is evident For 1. our Opposites themselves will not censure them-themselves They cannot be both judge and party 2. It appears from the rule of proportion For by that same rule that private Christians are to be compleaned of to that Eldership whereof they are parts so the Eldership is to be compleaned of to that Presbytry whereof it is a part and if the Christian liberty of the private Christian be not taken away by the one so neither is the just power of the Eldership taken away by the other Our Third Argument is from that which we handled before That in Scripture is holden forth Government by Presbytries over single Congregations and by Synods over Presbytries From whence we argue thus That the way of Governing the Church in the Apostles times was by Presbyteries and Synods And therefore the Church should still be so Governed For the first part of our Argument That the way Then of Governing the Church was by Presbytries and Synods it was proved before So we have only to speak to the Second part of our Argument that therefore the Church should be Governed so now And to clear this consequence consider these things 1. That whatever is recorded of the practice of the Churches in the matter of Government in the Apostles times can be for no other end but to be a Pattern for imitation to the Churches in after times For whatsoever things were written afore times was for our learning and instruction Rom 15. 4. 2. Those primitive Churches were planted by the Apostles Now who can imagine but what the Apostles did of that kind was according to the directions given them by Christ A promise of whose presence they had with them in their Ministry and if so then their practice must be a Rule to Generations following 1 Cor 11. 1. Be ye followers of me c. 3. We make the practice of the Apostles then to be a Rule for us in other things As from their practice in giving the People liberty in choising their own Deacons Act. 7. We argue That the People may choise their own officers yet And from their practice in having Ruling Elders in the Church 1 Tim 5. 15. We argue That we should have Ruling Elders yet So from their practice in having the office of Deacons we argue That we should have them yet And from their practice in Celebrating the Lords Supper on the Lord's day Act 27. We argue Therefore we should celebrate it on that day yet Now if so be that Their practice should be a Rule to us in other things why not also in Church Government by Presbytries and Synods especially seeing that we have made out that Their practice is as clear in this as in other matters A Fourth consideration to strengthen this Argument is this That the Churches now have these same Reasons to move them to submit to that Government which the Church in the Apostles times had and a Law or Practice is still binding so long as the Reason of the Law remains Now the Reasons that moved the Church in the Apostles time to submit to Presbyterial Government was first Because there were many things of common concernment to all the Congregations in Jerusalem and therefore they were Governed by one Presbytry as said is so there are many businesses of common concernment to many particular Congregations now and therefore it should be so yet Secondly In Act 15. There ariseth a controversie in Antioch and because the controversie cannot be composed in the Presbyterial Church of Antioch therefore it is referred unto a Synod made up of many Presbytries all concerned in it So there are businesses of common concernment to many Presbytries yet and some that cannot be ended in one Presbytry and therefore there should be Synods for composing of these things yet And seeing the Apostles extraordinarly assisted one whereof might have composed the Controversie would nevertheless have a Synodical Convention for ending Controversies Much more ought we to do it whose Gifts are far Inferior to Theirs By all which it remains clear that the practice of the Church then in that point is binding to us now Argument Fourth There is no Pattern of such an Independent Congregation by precept or Practice in the whole Scripture where one particular Congregation with one Pastor and Their Eldership did Exercise or may Exercise all Church Government in all its Acts and that Independently therefore c. The Antecedent is true First An instance cannot be given of Ordination of Ministers by One Congregation Secondly By precept and Practice Ordination is to be by moe Pastors than one as Act 1. 13. Act. 6. 2. Act 13. 13. 1 Tim 4. 14. So it is clear That it is by Pastors and many Pastors and so cannot be by a single Congregation where there is required and should be say they but one Pastor As to what they say of the Church of Corinths Excommunicating the Incestous man We Answer Corinth was a Presbyterial Church And Secondly It proves not that they might Excommunicate Independently For if a Controversie had arisen about it which they could not have ended among themselves they were to have their recourse to a Synod By the same Reason for which the Church of Antioch had Acts 15. Argument Fifth If so be that Congregations be Independent And no benefit of Appeals allowed to the party grieved Then the state of the Christian Churches were in greater Slavery than the Jewish But
the Communion and not only so but to quite That Church and set up a new Church of Their own We shall begin first with that Doctrine that concerns the Constitution of Visible Churches And therein we shall follow our usual Order First Clear the Question Secondly Bring Arguments for the Truth Thirdly Answer those they bring against the Truth And Fourthly Apply the whole to some Use. I. First For clearing of the Question ye would know what Church it is concerning which the Controversy is First It is not that place where Gods people meet to go about Gods publick Worship such as this House we now are in which is called the Church by a Figure improperly But it is the People gathered together in it which People are really and properly the Church although the House be so called because it contains them by an usual Figure The Church that we are to dispute of is made up of Men and Women And not that which is built of Timber and Stone Secondly The Controversy betwixt Us and Them is not concerning the Invisible Church that is called the Church of the First-born Those who by vertue of their Effectual Calling are united to Jesus Christ the Head are living Members of His Mystical Body and draw Spiritual Influence from him Concerning the Church taken in this Sense There is no Controversy betwixt Us and the Separatists but that the Members of this Church are only made up of Believers are all gracious because this Church is Christs Mystical Body a Royal Priest-hood the Lambs Wife all fair undefiled c. Thirdly The Question Then is concerning the Church Visible which is a Company of Men and Women who have according to the Tenor of Gods Covenant with the Visible Church an Outward Ecclesiastical which is in its kind a real Right to enjoy the Outward Priviledges of the Children of God This being the Church about which the Controversy betwixt Us and the Separatists is We shall speak a litle to clear what is meaned by it And First The Church is called Visible not because the Members of it may be seen For in that respect the Church Invisible the Church of Believers may be called Visible For the Members of it being believing Men and Women may be seen also But the difference betwixt the Churches in those two Senses is taken from that which makes one to be a Member of the one Church as it differs from that which makes one a Member of the other That which makes One man a Member of the Invisible Church is True Grace sincere Faith inward Marks thereof Now Grace is a thing that cannot be seen by another certainly It s true there are outward effects of it but they are such that a Hypocrite may have the counterfeit of them so as the one cannot be discerned from the other by a Beholder The nature of Grace is only known Infallibly and certainly to God And therefore This Church is called Invisible Again that which makes a Man or Woman a Member of the Visible Church is something that may be seen something that may be judged of by those who have Power to receive Members into the Church and cast them out from it Secondly We said that this Visible Church is a Company or Society of Men and Women that have an Ecclesiastical Right to enjoy the Outward Priviledges of the Sons of God For understanding what is meaned by enjoying of Outward Priviledges we shall show you That there are Outward Priviledges and Inward Priviledges of those who are the Sons of God Inward Priviledges are Jesus Christ himself a Right to him a saving Right to the Covenant of Grace and Life Eternal These are the Inward Priviledges of the Sons of God And only Believers have right to those Painted Hypocrites have no right to them But Secondly There are Outward Priviledges of the Sons of God such as these To be ordinary Hearers of the Word Preached To be taken a care of by Jesus Christ his Servants To have liberty to come to the Sacraments These are Outward Priviledges And these are Priviledges that a Member of the Visible Church hath a right to We said they had an Ecclesiastical Right or a Church Right to them That is such a Right as gives Warrand to the Church for receiving them to enjoy these Priviledges and yet possibly they have not a Right to them before God As for Example when there is a painted Hypocrite in a Congregation who makes Conscience seemingly to use the Means That man hath an Ecclesiastical Right to come to a Communion such a Right as may Warrand the Minister for admitting of him although he have not a Right to come before God God will challenge the Hypocrite for coming and not the Minister for suffering him to come Yet we are still to consider that tho' this Ecclesiestical Right be not Saving yet it is Real in its kind being founded upon Gods Covenant with the Visible Church and his Ordinance of admitting such therein Now ye may know somewhat by this what we mean by an Ecclesiastical Right it 's That which gives warrand to Church Officers to admit a man to enjoy these Outward Priviledges And so ye may know what we mean by the Visible Church whereof we Dispute There are several differences betwixt Us and the Separatists Concerning the Visible Church First They affirm That there is no Visible Church on Earth But a single Congregation As many as may meet in one place This we refuted in the former Controversie by shewing That in the Church of Jerusalem there were far moe than could meet in one single Congregation yea many particular Congregations And yet are called but One Church Secondly They differ much from us as also from the Truth concerning the power They give to this Visible Church They give them the full power of Church Government and that Independently from any Chuch power on earth This difference also we spoke of in the preceeding Debate And so we shall stand now no longer upon it Thirdly We differ concerning That which gives a Being to the Church Visible They say To make a Society of People a Visible Church so as to have right to partake of the Priviledges there of It is requisite that all the Members of that Society Swear a Covenant one to another wherein they bind themselves to submit one to another in the Lord to walk in all the Ordinances of God and not to leave that Society till liberty be given them by the rest So that tho a man should be never so truely Godly and Gracious yet if he take not such a Covenant and if he Swear not such an Oath He is without the Visible Church He is in the state of a â—agan to live and to die without any Church Ordinance The Judgement of our Church and that of Truth herein is this That wherever a man comes out of one Particular Congregation which we call a Paroch to another By his so doing he comes
again attained We read Act. 15. 39. that Paul and Barnabas parted but we hear nothing of their meeting again And Church History sheweth us That Schisms in a Church for almost just nothing have continued incureable for some Generations until not only the Authors and Ring-leaders of the Schism but also their Disciples were removed by Death Osiand Gent. 4. Reas. 6. When a Rent is made in a Church as it is hardly curable so it still groweth wider It is easier to know whereabout a Rent begins than whereat it will end The greatest of Church Divisions some of them at least have been observed to have had but small Beginnings hence is that commonly received Maxim Omne Schisma desinit in haresin The Faction of the Donatists at first made but a Schism separating from the Communion of the Church upon pretence of some faulty Officers and mixed Communions but it was not long until they fell into several Heresies The Doctrine being thus Explained and Confirmed from Scripture and Reason I shall now apply it to Use. Our first Use is for Refutation The Doctrine refutes at least layeth a just odium upon the Doctrine of Separation and that Way which is called Independant or Congregational in so far as it is made up of such Principles as lay a Foundation for the perpetual Renting of the Church Of which Principles I shall reckon Four The First is That Principle whereby They maintain the Lawfulness of gathering Churches out of Churches acknowledged by themselves to be True Churches A most dividing Principle in so far as it gives way for every Man to Separate from his Own and to join himself with another Church supposed Purer with contempt of the former Congregation To gather Churches out of Churches is the way to destroy but not to heal diseased Churches It is to destroy many Churches for making up of One as if one going about the Cure of a Natural Body should cut off and take out all the sound Members and leave the rotten and diseased Members either to Cure one another or to perish A strange and desperate way of Cure A Second Dividing Principle in that Way is The Rule according to which they will have Ecclesiastick Judgement pass'd upon their Church Members to wit Conviction of their Inward good Estate which Rule being variable and uncertain some will judge one way some another according as they are more or less enclined to Charity yea the same Man at several times will have a various Judgement of the Inward State of another according as the Presumptions and Probabilities by which only he is led to judge of what is within are more fully or sparingly represented Hence there is a Seed of Breach upon Breach But God hath not left his Church in the matter of Authoritative judging to walk by such uncertain Rules A Third Dividing Principle in the Independant Way is this That all Church Power is solely in a Particular Congregation Hence if a Particular Congregation go wrong tho but made up of seven Persons which is a competent number with them there is no Authoritative Mean in all the Churches of the World to reclaim them This must needs open a Door to as many Divisions as there are Churches A Fourth Dividing Principle is That there is not a Catholick Visible Church yea no Church Visible but a Particular Congregation and another Principle they hold which followeth upon this to wit That a Minister can exerce no Acts as a Minister to any but those of his own Flock Hence 1. There can be no Communion of Churches as Churches there remaineâ—h only a Communion of Members There can be no Church Act from one Church or many towards another The Results and Determinations of the most Famous Synods made up of never so many Churches are to be look'd upon but as the Actings of so many private Christians Yea 2. Hence it will follow that there can be no Communion amongst Members of several Congregations in publick Church Ordinances as in hearing the Word jointly from a sent Minister in Receiving the Seals together For according to this Principle a Minister cannot Authoritatively Preach nor in any respect Administer Baptism or the Lords Supper unto any though never so Gracious except to those of his own Flock no not tho they be occasionally present when he is dispensing these Ordinances unto his Own Which Consequence is expresly granted by some of the chief of that Perswasion So it is a Principle which destroyeth all Communion of Churches and Members and therefore inconsistent with Union Several such like Principles in That Way might be reckoned out Concerning which the Doctrine warrandeth us to say this much If Unity be so necessary and so much to be sought after then such Dividing Principles cannot be of God Our Second Use is for Direction If Unity be so necessary and so much to be laboured for then we are to bewail that we our selves are so far and every day a step further from it Our Divisions grow I fear all the three wayes and in all ranks Our Heads are divided our Tongues divided yea and our Hearts divided Synods are divided Presbyteries are divided Congregations divided Ministers divided People divided yea and in some places Families divided Husband and Wife Father and Son Mother and Daughter Master and Servant yea and all divided We are as Mad-men every one eating the flesh of his own Arm. Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh And they together against Judah An Evil never enough lamented and the more to be lamented that there is no appearance how it shall be helped There are many things may make us look upon the present Division as our saddest Affliction and greatest Weight I shall reckon Six things 1. The many particular Evils which upon an exact search it will be found Our Divisions have brought upon Peoples own Spirits How much of our precious time is spent in vain jangling by which our Heart cannot but â—e made worse Many I fear too too many so taken up with their Heads that they forget their Hearts the sweetness and profit of mutual converse and fellowship is much marred Our mutual freedom and benefit that way much impaired Our Peace with God by our hot Debates untender Expressions and bitter and unnecessary Reflections of times brangled and shaken A Second Thing that may make Us look on our Present Divisions as our great Weight is The name of Praise which this Church hath had for Unity in times by-past amongst the Reformed Churches In the Harmony of Confessions the Preface to the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland makes mention of this as a rare Priviledge of This Church beyond many and that which makes Her very Name Famous among Churches abroad That for the space almost of Sixty Years She had keep'd Unity with Purity without either Schism or Heresy Now if Unity hath been formerly this Church's Praise how sad and weighty is it and how woeful men are we that
this Breach should be under our Hand A Third Thing to make our present Division weighty is That it is the greatest Weight which Gods People up and down the Land lyeth under it 's a Weight beyond all other Weights and Sufferings And if it be their Weight it ought for many Reasons to be much more ours Fourthly Our Divisions and Courses taken for carrying them on hath given a deeper Inward Wound to the Government of Christ's House than all the Outward Power of the World could have done The leading of us by pairs to a Stake for our adhering to the Government and Constitution of our Mother Church our Imprisonment Banishment the laying of Congregations desolate for that Cause could not have shaken the minds of many in relation to these Truths so much as our own Divisions and Practices following thereupon have done An Inward Disease is more dangerous and weakeneth more than Outward Blows Fifthly Our Division may and ought to be the more weighty the more of Judgement is in it And certainly there is much of Wrath and Judgement in it It is a judicial stroak For all see it's Evil the most part are weary of it and yet cannot fall upon the right way for putting an end to it Yea no course hitherto essayed for Union but it hath proved an hightning of our Division And so it will until it come to that hight which God in His just Judgement will have it at However it 's clear that Wrath is in it much of Judgement is in it and that should make it weighty We side one against another and God is siding against us both Sixthly This should make our Division have a particular Weight with us in this Synod That we drink most of its bitter Fruits We are the Stage whereon this cruel Dividing Spirit acts its Game most None in time past so United as We but none now so Divided And even this may give Us sad thoughts of our Accession to the beginning and Fomenting of this woeful Rent Our Third Use is of Direction also following upon the former If Union be such a good if Division such an evil And if our Divisions be so much to be bewailed Then we ought to have some thoughts towards the making up of our breach there ought to be some guardings against these evils which may follow upon it until it be made up The Prosecuting of this Use as it is the most part of our Work so it is the most difficult and I fear also considering our present Distempers and deep Engagements lying on every one almost to his Own Way that for the time it shall be but Fruitless Yet being led to it by the word of Truth and not knowing when the Lord may make it have it 's own Fruits whether now or afterwards I shall with the Lords help adventure on it And therefore in pressing this Use I shall speak to three things 1. I shall show what things I conceive as necessary to be eyed by us while we aim at Union if so we would have Our aim's effectual 2. Because a Compleat Union is not soon to be expected I shall give some Directions for the Management of Our Differences so as the Church of Christ may have the less hurt by them at least Lastly I shall propound some Considerations to People for preventing of stumbling and making Shipwrack upon our Divisions As to the First I shall mention Six things we should carry alongs with us while we aim at Union Unto all which I premit One General as tending to give Life to all the rest without which all our Endeavours for Union though otherwise never so regular though guided with never so much Prudence though prosecuted with never so much zeal will prove ineffectual and it 's this That both Ministers and People should be more in seeking after God's Face So long as we remain at a distance from him no wonder we grope as Blind-men in the dark and cannot come nigh one to another It 's granted by all That Jesus Christ hath much withdrawn from the Spirits of his People There is not so much of Life conveyed by Preaching not such access granted in Prayer no such delight in Means no such joy in his presence This is granted by all and in a manner regrated by all but lamented by few And fewer yet make it their work to have the Lord returning and shewing himself as sometimes he hath done And until this be we can look for the less success of any attempts made for the removal of this our sore stroak But if God would return It were then easy work One glimpse of him filling the House with his Glory would scatter the Clouds of mutual Jealousies make us as men ashamed steal from all our Dividing Principles would put to silence all our turbulent Distempers and make us blush at our proud and selfish Animosities O! for more of God then would all be well But I come to the particulars to be eyed by us while we aim at Union First It is not to be expected that Our Union will begin at our Uniting in Judgment In that Question about which our unhappy Differences began It was the Judgment of some from the beginning that the standing at a distance in other things until we should be united in That should put Us at a further distance even in That Our Union in Practice first will be the shortest cut to bring us unto Union of Judgement about that Question if ever we shall come to it at all Hence publick Debatings before the People and such as tend to make others odious who are not of our Way is not the way for Union Such work irritateth but convinceth not It 's true no Truth may be quit for Union No not the least Quisquilâ—a veritatâ—â— praetiosissima The very refuse of Truth is most precious Yet that the positive asserting of some Truths may be forborn for Peace's sake I believe is granted by All and there is good reason for it Only there is one exception here necessary to wit when Truth is impugned then there is a necessity to speak for it at least till there be such a Testimony given to that Opposed Truth as may â—e rested upon And in this Case some may be made unwillingly to speak as the Apostle Paul was once in defence of his own Estimation 2 Cor. 12. 11. I am become a fool in glorying ye have compelled me for I ought to have been commended of you As if he should say God knows I have no more delight to speak of this subject than ye have to hear me but your Indiscretion forceth me to it A Second thing to be carried along with us while we aim at Union is no union of this kind of which the Doctrine speaks can be expected in the Church except there be an Union in one Supreme Representative land that such an one whose Authority we may stand under for the present As it is in the Civil
had been converted and indued with saving Grace neither doth Grace here signify Gods Grace inherent in them but Gods Grace and free Favour which he saw in the effects of it in that it wrought so Powerfully in bringing a great many to embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel among whom there doubtless were many sincere and real Converts though all of them were not so However the thing he saw was The mighty progress and success of the Gospel and this occasioned by a strong and cruel Persecution mentioned verse 19 the Ministers are forced to flee from their Flocks wherever they go they Preach Gods Grace and mighty Hand accompanies their Labour to the Conversion of many thousand Souls this is the Grace which Barnabas saw Hence take this Doctrine That sadest Persecutions for Truth do frequently prove an occasion of the Gospels spreading Thus it was Act 8. 3. Saul made havock of the Church entring into every House and haling Men and Women committed them to Prison v. 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where Preaching the Word Even as far as Phâ—nice Cyprus and Antioch as it is ver 19 of this Chapter The making havock of the Church occasioned the enlargement of the Church which hath frequently fallen out since which gave ground to that true and ancient saying The Blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church The Reasons why the Work and Grace of God thrives best at such times may be many As 1. Peoples Ears are then bored and readiest to drink in the Word with greediness because then they have little other comfort left them Affliction and Persecution is a Tasty Sawce to make the Word Relish Psal. 141. v. 6. When their Judges are overthrown in stony places they shall hear my words for they are sweet 2. At such times the Servants of Christ are more diligent in their Work as they can have access to it and more fervent in dealing with God by Prayer for a Blessing to their Work because the thriving of their Work is all the reward which they can then expect And 3. The Lord doth then usually countenance the Labours of his Servants most because they are most despised few do then care for them or takes any notice of them And therefore the Lord takes this way both to hearten them and to put respect upon them And 4. The Couragious Constant and Cheerful enduring of Hardships and Sufferings for Truth doth commend that Truth for which they suffer unto others even to indifferent Spectators and makes them enquire after it and desirous to know what so much worth there can be in it I shall not insist for Application hasting forward to the latter part of the Text Only if it be so Then People are not to lookupon Persecution and a suffering time for Truth whenever it comes as so sad so dismal and dreadful a thing For this at least may be expected to be lovely in it The same Truth which men labour to bear down shall spread the faster and the further And that this is so the following Doctrine will shew Another Doctrine ariseth from the first effect this sight did work on Barnabas It made him Glad for so saith the Text Who when he came and had seen the Grace of God was glad The Doctrine is this That the Gospel and Truth do spread and gain ground among People is matter of Joy and gladness to a Godly heart though the times were otherwise never so sad For there were many things to make Barnabas sad at this time If we consider 1. How they had stoned the first Martyr Stephen to death a man full of the Holy Ghost and used him so as if he had been the most notorious Malefactor that ever the Earth carried And 2. The prosperous state of the Churches Enemies the Scribes Pharisees High-Priests a company of degenerate corrupt Church-men who at that time did sit at Jerusalem guiding all things at their pleasure That if any did but mutter against their State and Dignity though in the furthest part of all the Realm their hand could easily reach them They needed no more but hound out a Saul with a Commission if it were to Damascâ—s to take them and bring them bound to Jerusalem As is clear from Acts 9. 1 2. And 3. if ye consider his own poor condition and that of others the Servants of Christ at that time who were hunted from corner to corner yea from Kingdom to Kingdom These and many such things as these were at that time to make Barnabas sad and yet this makes him take all in the better part and in a manner digest all That when he came he saw the Grace of God had accompanied the Labours of his despised Servants and a rich Income of Souls to the knowledge of Christ and the Gospel And when he saw this he was glad He is in some sort so transported with it That in a manner he forgets Stephen's death he envyeth not the prosperous state of the Churches Enemies noâ— doth much resent his Own hard lot or that of others who were Christs Faithful Saints and Servants All which cleareth the Doctrine That the spreading of Truth will make a Godly Heart Glad though the times otherwise were never so sad Thus was it with the Apostle Paul Philip 1. 12. The things which happened unto me saith he meaning his Bonds Imprisonment and other harsh usage have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel Whereupon v. 18. he breaks out What then notwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in Truth Christ is Preached and I therein do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce For Vse 1. Try your selves by this What it is that makes you Glad Is it the thriving of Gods work in Souls The down-bearing of Sin The growth of Piety If so It speaks thee to be a man of Barnabas temper and upon the other hand If things of that kind do rather make the sad and if the back-going of Gods Work The destroying what he hath built The plucking up of what he hath planted The thriving of sin and Wickedness The general Loosness of the times If I say these things make thee Glad It speaks thee to be a man of a woful temper a very Godless Heart But 2. If this be a thing that will make a Godly Heart Glaâ— in the saddest of times then Pray to God for it that it may be so That the Work of God may thrive in Hearts That those woful Spiritual Plagues of Security Deadness and Hardness of Heart may be removed and the Gospel may take many by the Heart who never hitherto knew the Power of it It 's easie for God to bless his Truth in the Mouth of his despised and persecuted Servants and to make a gracious Change tho Wickedness were at the greatest hight And if he do it whatever may be the other sadness of the Times thou who art a Godly Heart shall have reason to be Glad yea and thou shall
State so is it in the Church as to this purpose No Union can be there as of one actually incorporate Body except it be under one and the same Supreme Rulers So is it in the Church So long as there is no agreement about One and the same Supreme Representative under whose Authority we may stand for the present But one part standeth for it's Authority another is contrary unto it or setting up another against it In this case the matter is clear there is no compleat Union but a fixed Schism or at the best a strong tendency unto it A Third thing to be eyed is If so Our Union must be under one Supreme Representative then such ways of Union will do no good as carry not alongs the Body An Union if not with the Body instead of healing doth widen the Rent A resolution or desire to unite with a few not caring for the rest will not produce an union I mean of the Church altho it may be of a stronger Party in the Church These few would possibly as gladly unite as others would have them if it were not evidently a strengthening of the Breach Fourthly Yet a Part ought to labour with the Body for condescending as low as warrantably can be for Peace's sake Only a Caveat must be here They are so to deal with the Body to condescend for Vnion as to beware of making a new Rupture in the Body upon their not granting For that were in a desperate way to make a new Rent because others will not take Our way for removing of the Old Fifthly If we desire an hearty cordial Vnion it would be endeavoured without rubbing upon the Credit 1. Of Persons 2. Of Parties 3. Of Ordinances If the Credit of all can be held up it 's well He is no friend to Vnion that would endeavour the contrair But if some must suffer Love to the Publick and Zeal for God will teach That the former is to yeild to the latter viz. Persons to Parties and the Credit both of Persons and Parties yea and of both Parties themselves if need be are to stoop for upholding the Authority of Divine Ordinances A litle of this Self-denial would do much good But how litle of it is there to be found Sixthly Dividing Principles and such as tend of their own nature to obstruct Union should be abandoned There is One Principle often spoken of by some and now made more publick which if maintained in Our judgment will close the door upon Union in hast to wit That it is unlawful to sit in an Assembly with those who have enacted persecution against the Godly And this in the sence of the Propounders as it is expresly tho injuriously applyed by them is as much as to say It is unlawful to joyn in any Assembly made up for the most part of those who acted in and approved of Our late Controverted Assemblies Now if it be unlawful to joyn in an Assembly made up for the most part of such why not also unlawful to join in a Synod or in a Presbytry likewise made up of such yea and to join at a Communion Table where the most part are such And indeed some of the People chiefly draw out their Principle to this full length A Principle which to say no worse of it striketh at the very throat of Peace and if stood to makes it desperat and so I hope is and will be disowned by all who cordially pretend to Peace and Union in the Church These I conceive and many moe should be eyed by Us in Our aiming at Union if we would have Our endeavours effectual But because a Compleat Union in an ordinary way is not to be so soon expected I shall in the next place give Two Directions for managing our Differences So as the Church of Christ may have less hurt by them at least The first Direction is That we ought to guard against these Tentations which Our Standing Division may readily make way for Whereof I shall mention Three The First Tentation is this An oversight of every other fault almost whether in Ministers or Professors providing they be true to the Party A Party is a dangerous thing and in nothing more dangerous than in this That it driveth men if not all the more tender to take fidelity unto the Party to be the prime if not the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and badge of honesty and enclines them to look on all other things whether Corrupt Principles or loose Practices as excusable Infirmities A woeful Tentation and destructive both to Truth and Piety And therefore ought so much the more to be guarded against on both hands A Second Tentation is The secret wishing after and rejoycing in the Slips one of another An Evil so woeful that David complains to God of it even in his avowed Enemies Ps. 38. 16. When my Foot slippeth they magnify themselves against me And Jeremiah complaineth of it in his false Friends Ch. 20. v. 10. They watched for my halting And yet an Evil that even Good men if once engaged in Parties will have a Battel with A Third Tentation upon Our standing Divided and which is also to be guarded against is A bending of Our selves to the outmost of Light and possibly beyond it for strengthning of our selves to the doing of these things in relation to these who now Rule which not long since we would have abhorred both in our selves and others It is very possible that as Gifts blind the Eyes of the Wise Exod. 23. So the seeming advantage unto that which we conceive Truth may draw out somewhat like an Approbation to such like Work from those of our own Judgement and if these do approve it is the less matter think we that others do disapprove But we ought to remember there are others to sift our Actions Forreign Churches abroad our own Conscience being sober and settled and above all God the Judge of All. A Second Direction for managing our Differences is That we ought not to be so taken up with others as to take our Eye off from guarding against that which is Satan's main design against the Church of Christ at this time Satan does as a subtile Warriour labour to raise a Mutiny among the Forces which should oppose him that while they are wrangling one with another he may carry his Point without stroke of Sword Being to insist a little on this Direction I shall first speak to what I conceive to be Satan's main design against the Church at this time 2 I shall give some Directions to manage our Differences So as not to further this his main design nor yet to be short-coming in our Duty against it And First For taking up what is Satan's great Design we shall in a word or two lay before you a wonderful Contexture as it were of God's Wisdom and Satan's Malice since the first beginnings of the Christian Church even untill now There is no Truth almost but Satan's