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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93581	The divine right of Presbyterie, asserted by the present Assembly, and petitioned for accordingly to the Honourable House of Commons in Parliament. With reasons discussing this pretended divine right; and yet with tendernesse to the brethren of the Presbyterial way. Pleading for a liberty of conscience for them in this their opinion, as for others of their dissenting brethren, and equally for both. With inferences upon their late petition. / By John Saltmarsh, preacher of the gospel.	Saltmarsh, John, d. 1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing S478; Thomason E330_29; ESTC R200732	10,981	27

the Magistrate is not for their Eldership and Presbytery are to be accountable to the Civill power for their miscarriages and how at the same time they should subject their Churches in their mal Administrations to the Magistrates power of judging and yet chalenge such an entire sole supream and Ecclesiasticall Judicature is a mystery becoming the learning of that same Assembly to reveale which first begun it Principles against the Divine Right of their present Presbytery extracted from the Reasons 1. THey are no such Presbyters of Jesus Christ as the first were because ordained by an Antichristian power of Bishops nor were Bishops true Presbyters nor those who joyned with them in their Ordination who were made by them nor is there any succession of Ordination but it implies both a Perpetuall Visible Church and a true Church Ministery and Ordinances under Antichrist which are all to be proved by them 2. If there were any such true Church invisible under Antichrist to which they succeed in their Ministery then it must appeare that they succeed that very invisible Church and that that very invisible Church had a true Ministery or Presbytery in it for men may be Saints or good men yet not good Presbyters or Ministerially sent 3. As they now in their practice will not account any for true Presbyters but such who can prove to them their personall Ordination from them so we demand of these Presbyters an account of their personall succession accordingly which personall succession if it be false and interrupted anywhere in the Line must needs be all false from such a point where the first interruption was made 4. Though Christs promise is enough to ground a perpetuity of Church and Christs presence yet not of his promise made good to such particular men or to their pretended succession 5. They that challenge a Divine Right to the power they act by must act by a gift as divine and infallible as their right and power and thus did the primitive Presbyters and Elders therefore the gift now being but mixt their right or power is but mixt accordingly and not Divine 6. They who were Elders or Presbyters in the first Churches as Ierusalem c. were gifted by a spirit which taught the very infallible Word which is now written or Scripture and so they then did constitute advise counsell in the place of this written Word and all Scripture Formes and Institutions were then in the gift and persons but no such thing can be said of any Eldership or Presbytery of men now 7. They who set up an Eldership or Presbytery now of Divine Right to constitute ordain counsell c. doe joyn to the Word written or infallible Scripture a Power lesse infallibly gifted who by such a Divine Right and Power pretended shall controll the Word of Truth by Interpretations of that word lesse then truth which is not consistent with the glory of the Word 8. There is no Eldership or Presbytery in Scripture but either the Churches Act did precede it act it or accompany it by precept or practice which makes the Divine Right of the Presbytery questionable uncertaine unsafe because of a contrary Scripture and precept 9. The Eldership and Presbytery which are brought for instances are questionable first for the Persons who were not such very Presbyters as they would imply but Apostles Evangelists c. or otherwise ordained either by Apostles or Church or otherwise gifted by speciall unction or else an Eldership of eminency not of Office 10. They hold this Divine Right is in the first subject in the Congregationall Presbytery and yet they set up a Classicall Provinciall Nationall Presbytery to compleat and controll this of the Congregationall and how this their Divine Right can be subjected thus to a right lesse Divine is unreasonable and unscripturall to imagine 11. Suppose such a power as a Nationall Presbytery collected from all parts of the Kingdome every Congregation having an Interest or part there and this Presbytery so Nationall and Collective inforformed by a Divine Right for judging sins c. shall not this Nationall Presbytery take cognizance of States if sinning Ecclesiastically as well as others and if so what proceeding what censures will follow from such a body as universall as the body of that State of as much interest in the Kingdom as they of more interest by how much more Divine a Right they act by and by how much neerer they are seated to the conscience and how Kingdomes have been embroyled by such an Ecclesiasticall Interest Histories will tell yee 12. So as in this strait when Parliament is perswaded of no Divine Right Assembly of a Divine Right and the Dissenting Brethren of another Divine Right is not the way this to let the Parliament have their Liberty of Conscience to settle no Divine Right by a Power and the Assembly to use their Liberty in a Divine Right with all that will peaceably joyn with them in the Kingdome under that Power and not to trouble the Magistrate further and the other Brethren as peaceably to enjoy their other Divine Right as the Brethren of the Presbyteriall way theirs and all alike under the same Civill Power and neither of them with it and all other Reformed Kingdoms in unity of the spirit and love to one another Principles destructive to their present Petition extracted from the Inferences 1. The Presbytery now not so distinct in gifts and office but the Magistrate may rule with them THe Eldership and Presbytery in the Primitive Churches had a spirit anointing them to such Administrations but now as the anointing is not so nor is the Office pure peculiar and distinct the Magistrates and Parliament have gifts as spirituall as there are any now in the pretended Presbytery and may therefore as well put forth a Power in their Churches or Congregations as they unlesse their Churches Officers and Gifts were more Christs then they are 2. The Magistrate may better rule then the Eldership or present Presbytery The Magistrate is unquestionably a Power of God and the present Presbyterie are Officers questionable in their Offices Gifts c. therefore the Magistrate may more lawfully put forth a Power coercive to sinne then they 3. Vniformity in the Word of God is the Vniformity of Churches They that presse the Covenant for Vniformity so penally as they doe make it a snare of compulsion not in the Word of it but in their Interpretation of that Word unity in the spirit makes up the want of Vniformity in the letter Kingdomes are to be no more compelled to uniformity in Lawes Ecclesiasticall then in Civill but may walk together as Believers so far as they have attained that clause according to the Word of God makes roome for the severall statures of Christ and measures of light in the Covenant and they that agree in that are truly Vniforme for it is the uniformity with the Word not with one another but so far as we are

all alike in that Word which is the very Vniformity of the Kingdom of Christ 4. The Magistrate as they now make him is Ecclesiasticall as well as they They that ascribe a Power to any to compleat and actuate them in their Ministration do acknowledge that very Power by which they are informed to be in those that so informe and compleat them so as the very Petitioning a State for Power and qualification for Eldership and Presbytery doth imply a Presbyterall and Ecclesiasticall Power in that State and if so the Magistrate may as well govern in that Church as any Ruling Officer they have 5. The present Presbytery in mystery both over and under the Magistrate They that are a Magistracy neither over nor under the Presbytery tell me in what spheare or where rule they for over it they are not Commissioners they say are contrary to the word and under it they are not for their Presbytery is accountable as they say unto it so as they who are so much in the dark with their Government doe with Magistracy they know not what and would place it they know not where The Position being a safer way for the Magistrate then the Erastian and how the Presbyteriall Brethren cannot justly exclude him from ruling with them according to the present constitution both of the pretended Church and Presbytery That the Magistrate or Parliament cannot be excluded from Government in this present Presbytery as the present Assembly would exclude them because this Kingdom of England is not a Church in Gospel order but a Kingdome of Beleevers in generall and because their present Presbyters and Elders are no true Presbyters of Jesus Christ according to Gospel-order and till both this Nationall Church and Officers bee that very Kingdome of Christ and those very Officers of Christ the Magistrate may as lawfully yea more lawfully rule then any other pretended Officer Minister or Elder amongst them for Magistrates have the whole Kingdome of the world allowed from God for their place of Government And this Kingdom of England being but a Kingdom or world of Beleevers not a Church they may as they are powers of God rule amongst them Iesus Christ being only King and head in that Church or Kingdom which is more his own and the Magistrates Kings for him in that Kingdom which is the world or lesse his owne so as the Presbyteriall Brethren cannot exclude the Civill power from governing with them according to the unsound constitution of their Church Ministers and Elders nor till they have proved the truth both of their very Church Ministery and Eldership for all Scripture proofes of Eldership and Presbytery is respective to the true Presbytery and Eldership according to truth not to every pretended Presbytery and Eldership of the Nations so as till the very Constituting Principles of Presbytery be proved true no Scripture either alledged for Presbytery belongs to them nor any other by which they would exclude the Magistrate as from the Church of Christ Conclusion These few things I have writ to draw forth the strength of others in a thing of this Nature which is of as high concernment in the things of Gospel-order as any point now abroad for surely it is not a Vniversity a●Cambridge or Oxford a Pulpit and Black gowne or Cloak makes one a true Minister of Iesus Christ though these are the best things in the composition of some the Mystery of Iniquity hath deceived the world with a False and Artificiall unction for that true one of the Spirit and the Ministery hath been so cloathed with Art and Habit that if the Apostles should live again and preach in that plainnesse they came they would be as despised for we wonder after the Wise the Scribe and the Disputer of this World FINIS See Ordin. Jun. 12. 1043. p. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 17. See their Humble Advice See in their Humble Advice c. to the Parl. Manuscr Pag. 4. See the Humble Advice c. of the Assembly in Manu See in their last Petition See Petition

justice honour conscience desire the State to settle such a Gospel-order as they beleeve to be true the other being no more enabled to demand of the State any power for imposing their conclusions true by a power of the States own giving by Ordinance And whether the State seeing no infallibility of spirit in any of all sides since what the Truth which they hold bring in its own evidence and demonstration before them ought to be pressed as bound to one by any Interest more then to another save that of Truth I leave to be considered and then what reason the Brethren have thus to presse their supposed Divine Right I desire to know Objection Whether is this to settle things according to Covenant Answ Yea The Covenant binds us to Uniformity but then that clause According to the Word of God doth restrain the Uniformity to the light which each Kingdom sees by according to that Word and therefore our Brethren of Scotland see Presbytery in one degree the Hollanders in another and the French in another and at this time England in another and yet all should be one in that clause of the Covenant viz. to defend each other in their degrees of Reformation against the Common Enemy We Scotland and Scotland us and what a comely thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity though they cannot in Uniformity THE LAST PETITION OF THE Assembly for Divine Right in their present PRESBYTERY with Inferences upon it PETITION That the Provisions of Commissioners to judge the scandals not numerated appears to our consciences to be so contrary to that way of Government which Christ hath appointed in his Church Inference Whence we may inferre that the Assembly doe suppose the Parliament and Commissioners to bee far below the Ministers and Eldership in spirituall gifts and discerning which I suppose cannot be well presumed considering the Assembly and Eldership now is not annointed with that pure spirit gifts as the first were but with habits of Arts and Sciences and with some measure of the Spirit which many both of the Parliament Commissioners both may be and are enabled with as well as they and whether is not this to set up the old distinction of Layty and Clergy and to set the present Eldership and Presbytery upon a higher form then the Magistrate seeing the gifts are not so distinct as at first why should the Offices be so distinct Petition In that it giveth a power to judge of the fitnesse of Persons Inference Whence we may inferre that they presume themselves to be that very Ministery and Eldership of Iesus Christ though both their Ministery is by Bishops and their Elders by a prudentiall constitution and election at this present and may not the Magistrate who is unquestionably the power of God Rom. 13. appointed to be Iudge of good and evill more lawfully judge of sins and Gospel rules then they who are a questionable Ministery and Eldership in this present Presbytery Petition And to be so differing from all example of the best Reformed Churches and such a reall hinderance to the bringing the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes to the neerest conjunction and uniformity and in all these respects so disagreeable to our Covenant Inference Whence we may inferre that if all do not believe as one believe it is pretended that all are in breach of Covenant and thus the Covenant is made a snare by interpretation and principles of spirituall compulsion implyed in the Covenant contrary to the Spirits wisdome who both allowes and advises the severall statures and measures of light the weak and the strong and whether the Communion by unity is not a glorious supplement to the Rent of uniformity that of Vnity being in the Spirit that of Vniformity in the Letter and why should our Brethren thus bring down the State and Kingdom more to other Reformed Kingdomes or not rather rayse up the other Reformed Kingdomes to this and if any thing be revealed more to this Kingdome that hath sit by this long time why should not the other hold their peace and beleeving Kingdomes as beleevers walk with one another so farre as they have attayned and wherein they have not the Lord shall reveal even this unto them not but that this Kingdome ought to form it selfe into any Communion with the rest so farre as their Communion excels and so the other into Communion with this so farre as this excels and both so farre to one another as they are perswaded not compelled which are no Arguments for Faith but Formality Petition Doe humbly pray that the severall Elderships may be sufficiently enabled Inference Whence we may inferre that their whole endeavour is to raise up the Interest of the Eldership and Presbytery into a distinct sole and Independent body and power which how conformable and obedient and consistent it may prove to and with the power of the State in one and the same Kingdome would be considered when such an Interest growes up from its infancy and first Reformation into a fuller and more perfect man And whether their petitioning of a power from the State to compleat and make them an Eldership and Presbytery doth not imply a power in the State more or rather as fully Ecclesiasticall as their Presbytery for can the State give them any Ecclesiasticall power and have none in it selfe so as according to these Principles the State is Ecclesiasticall as well as they and so not to be denyed the power of Commissioning with them or else t is a meer contradiction to pray for power from those to their Eldership and Presbytery which they say is a Government and Power entirely Ecclesiasticall and compleat in it selfe and so as they either pray for that which they have of their own already or else pray for that from the State which they cannot give them Petition It belongs unto them by Divine Right and by the will and appointment of Iesus Christ which with the help of superiour Assemblies in cases of appeale or in all administrations therein will prevent through the blessing of God all the feared inconveniences Inference Whence we may inferre that the Prebsytery and Eldership of a Congregation is of Divine Right c. yet that Divine Right is perfected and compleated by that which is not of as pure Divine Right as it selfe viz. Superiour Assemblies and so becomes neither purely Prudentiall nor Divine but Mixt and so is neither good Divine nor good Humane Right Petition And the Magistrate to whom we professe the Church to be accountable for their proceedings in all their Elderships and Church Assemblies and punishable by him with civill censures for their miscarriages Inference Whence we may inferre that the Civill Magistrate is neither over nor under the Presbytery and where they place it who can tell by this Petition of theirs for over it the Magistrate is not for they say Commissioners over them are not sufferable and under it they say