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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30650	A vindicaton of churches, commonly called Independent, or, A briefe answer to two books the one, intituled, Twelve considerable serious questions, touching church-government, the other, Independency examined, unmasked, refuted, &c. : both lately published by William Prinne ... / Henry Burton ...	Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.	1644 (1644)	Wing B6176; ESTC R20892	61,118	78

never so wicked But to your reasons First For else say you Paul and Barnabas being Apostles themselves might have decided that controversie at Antioch without sending to Ierusalem Answ. 1. By your favour brother Barnabas was not to speak properly an Apostle though an Apostolicall man 2. They argued with those Legalists at Antioch sufficiently to convince them but they comming from Judea and pretending the use of circumcision and Moses Law to be still in force in the Church at Jerusalem and the controversie being between two great parties the Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles hereupon the Church at Antioch thought it requisite for the fuller satisfaction to all parties to send Paul and Barnabas to the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem And 3. because Paul and Barnabas are thus sent doth it follow that they were not sufficient yea Paul alone as an Apostle infallibly guided by the holy Ghost to have decided the question at Antioch As no doubt sufficiently they did though not so satisfactorily to all And 4. that they are thus by the Church at Antioch sent to the Apostles and Church at Jerusalem here is a good example for the use of communion of Churches as in doubtfull cases to consult one with another 2. Else say you the Church at Antioch would have sent to none to resolve their doubts but to the Apostles onely and not to the Elders I answer In that they sent to the Elders also it shewes the respect that one Church should have to another 2. Those Elders were men endowed with the gifts of the holy Ghost 3. Though they had not infallibility as the Apostles had yet their assent to the determination was a witnesse-bearing to the truth thereof 3. Else say you Paul and Barnabas would have put the question to the Apostles onely not to the Elders and Church as well as to them vers. 4 5 6. This is answered in the former 4. Else the Apostles would not have called all the Elders and brethren to consult v. 6. when themselves might have done it alone I answer 1. Though the Apostles might have done it alone yet they would not but called together the Elders and Brethren yea and the whole Church at Jerusalem vers. 4 22. hereby to give a precedent to all Presbyters or Elders of Churches that in cases of difference arising they call the whole Church together for assistance and counsell therein 2. In so doing the Apostles diminished nothing of that Judicial power and authority which Christ left with them for deciding of controversies being infallibly guided by the holy Ghost while they thought it not fit to doe such things in a corner which concerned the whole Church 5. Peter and Iames say you would not have argued the case so largely and proved it by Arguments and Scriptures as they did one after another but have peremptorily resolved it without dispute had they sate and determined it by their extraordinary infallible power I answer This followes no more then the former For the Arguments they used with the conclusion were by the direction of the holy Ghost And 2. The holy Ghost is not so peremptory but will have his truths examined by the Scriptures as Acts 17. 11. The Bereans are commended by the holy Ghost for examining Pauls Sermon by the Scripture though hee were an Apostle and spake by the holy Ghost And 3. the Churches assent was taken in for a witnesse ex abundanti 6. The finall resolution say you Letters and Canons of this Synod had run onely in the Apostles names had they proceeded onely by their Apostolicall infallible authority and not in the names of the Elders and brethren too I answer There is as little reason in this as in all the rest of your reasons for then by this reason sundry of Pauls Epistles which were all dictated by the holy Ghost did not proceed from that infallibility of Spirit alone wherewith the Apostle was guided because we find others not Apostles joyned with him As 1 Cor. 1. 1. Paul called to be an Apostle of Iesus Christ and Softhenes a brother to the Church of God c. And 2 Cor. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ and Timothy a brother to the Church c. And Gal. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle c. and all the brethren that are with me to the Churche of Galatia c. So Phil. 1. 1. Col. 1. 1. 1 Thess. 1. 1. Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus to the Church c. In all which places though there was but one Apostle guided with infallibility of the holy Ghost to write the Scriptures yet many brethren are joyned in the salutation of the Churches and yet Paul as Apostle did write those Epistles and not simply as a brother or fellow-servant with them of Jesus Christ Neither are those brethren so named accounted the Pen-men of the Scripture as Paul of right is Thus you see brother there was no necessity that either the Apostles names should be put alone because they only were guided by the Spirits infallibility or that the names of the Elders and Brethren should not be put without a necessary conclusion deduced thence that the Decree there was therefore binding as being the Decree of a Synod and so exemplary for all Parliaments Councels Synods to make the like binding Decrees But good brother for all your punctuall quotations of that Scripture you doe not all this while tell us which is the main of all that which we find in the 28. verse of that chapter IT SEEMED GOOD TO THE HOLY GHOST AND VS TO LAY VPON YOU NO GREATER BVRTHEN THEN THESE NECESSARY THINGS Now brother we chalenge you to shew us any Parliament Councell Synod ever since the Apostles that could or can say thus IT SEEMED GOOD TO THE HOLY GHOST AND VS to determine controversies of religion to make and impose Canons to bind all men c. Shew this to us at this time and we will obey But if you cannot as you never can never let any man presse upon us that Scripture that Synod which hath no parallel in the whole world and so is no precedent pattern for any Councell Synod Parliaments Let me conclude with a passage of the learned and famous Chamierus that grand Antagonist of Bellarmins Bellarmine upon the same Scripture you alledge Act. 15. as also our late Prelates have usually done would deduce the same conclusion that you doe for humane authority in binding mens consciences To which Chamierus thus answereth that this consequence holds not Quia non eadem sit authoritas Apostolorum reliquorum Ecclesiae Pastorum Because there is not the same authoritie of the Apostles and of other Pastors of the Church For with those the Holy Ghost was extraordinarily present so as what they propounded did simply proceed of God But other Pastors have no such extraordinary assistance of the Spirit and therefore their Decrees are not to be paralleld with the Apostles Decrees Which is a speciall difference

it selfe To be plaine therefore though I know you to be a very Heluo librorum of vast indefatigable reading and to have a stomack proportionable of a strong digestion yet give me leave to tell you as my loving and beloved friend and brother that the subject you here deale with is not of so easie a digestion as that subitane or sudden apprehensions thereof may be w●ll said to be digested Strong meats you know taken downe liberally into the stomack doe require the longer time for a kindly digestion And a sudden digestion is apt to leave many indigested crud●●ies ingendring malignant humours in the body You digest your apprehensions into considerable Questions as you call them to be solemnly debated by sober minds but passing along brother I find your Questions turned into your owne resolutions so as in stead of debating them by sober minded men you forestall them and tell us that these Independents as you style them are guilty of Arrogancy Schisme Contumacy and liable to such penalties as are due to these offences in case they shall not submit to such a publick Church-Government Rites Discipline as a Synod and Parliament shall conceive most consonant to Gods Word c. And all along your Queries are so digested by you as that they cast up a very ill sent if not rather a judiciall sentence against those Churches which not honoris causa you name Independents But we shall answer to the particulars as they come in order Thus much of your Proeme or Preface To your first Question Before I punctually answer this and so the rest of your Questions let me premise this as an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which I must demand of you a due to my Profession that forasmuch as you are a learned Lawyer and able to speake much of Lawes and Customes of Nations and Churches and my selfe am a professor of Divinitie the Rules and Principles whereof are all of them laid downe in the Scripture unto which alone all Questions about Faith and Religion are so reducible and finally determinable as who so denieth this denieth the faith and is not to be disputed with as a denier of Principles therefore I require of you as a Christian brother to joyne issue with me in this point that all your Questions may be resolved by cleare Scriptures and reason evidently deduced from them and this with all brevitie and perspicuitie Now to your first question the summe whereof is Whether every severall Nation Republick and Nationall Church hath not under the Gospell a * liberty and latitude left them to chuse and settle such an orderly forme of Church-government Discipline and Ecclesiasticall Rites as is most suteable to their particular Civill government lawes manners customes being not repugnant to the word of God This being as I conceive a generally received truth among all Protestant Churches And whether some things in all Church-governments Discipline Ceremonies whatsoever are not and must not be left to humane prudence for which there is no direct precept nor pattern in sacred writ Which truth is assented to by all parties Churches whatsoever in theory or practice This is the substance of your first Question To which I answer And first to your quotation of the Harmony I will answer one for all Sect. 16. August Confessio 4. Traditiones de ●●riis c. We condemne not Traditions of Holy-dayes of the Lords day of the Nativity of Easter and the rest for a politick end Here you see they put the observation of the Lords day among humane Traditions which I suppose you doe not approve Again they allow onely such observations as God by the Morall Law and the voyce of Nature it selfe commandeth And thirdly That humane rites be not imposed Ne conscientiae onerentur That mens consciences bee not burthened And in a word To shape Religion in point of Church-government Discipline Ceremonies to every Nation Republick Nationall Church and to Civill Government Lawes Manners Customes and so to humane Prudence as you say what is it but to shape a coat for the Moone Whereas the Scripture holds forth unto us but onely one forme of Church-government and Discipline which ought not to be altered according to the diversitie of humane Lawes and Customes in all Kingdomes and Common-weales as you affirme And whereas you make a proviso Alwayes provided every thing bee consonant and no way repugnant to the word of God To what purpose is this when the very liberty you give of altering Church-government and Discipline as may be sutable to humane Laws and Customes is it self repugnant and no way consonant to the word of God as we shall shew by and by This is transformare Ecclesiam in humanam politiam to transforme the Church into a humane Politie * Hae imaginationes omnibus aetatibus inde usque ab initio mundi nocuerunt Ecclesiae semper nocebunt These imaginations or fancies have in all ages from the beginning of the world hurt the Church and will alwayes hu●t Thus the Harmony * Now brother whereas you seem to challenge us infallibly to evidence by any Gospel Text that Christ hath peremptorily prescribed one and the self-same form of Ecclesiasticall government Discipline Rites to all Nations Churches in all particulars from which they may in no case vary under pain of mortall sin schisme or being no true Churches of Christ with whom good Christians may not safely communicate First what evidence from Scripture can you bring why it should not necessarily be so You would seeme to make this a ground why Church-government Discipline Rites should be alterable according to the severall laws and customes of severall Nations Because say you Christ enjoyned the preaching of the Gospel to all Nations and People whatsoever who have their severall established defferent formes of Civill government Laws Manners Rules and Customes sutable to their respective dispositions Climes Republicks By this reason you might argue that therefore the Gospel it self may be preached variously according to the variation of the climate and if not so then say I neither is the Church-government and Discipline to be varied according to the diversity of Nations Laws Customes Climates For brother the Church-government and Discipline now in the time of the Gospel is a part of the Gospel as being the Gospel-government and Discipline of the Evan 〈…〉 l Churches And brother why should you think that Christ now under the Gospel or New Testament hath ●e●t a greater liberty to men to alter that form of Church-government and Discipline which in the New Testament is laid down then he did in the Old Testament under the Leviticall Law What a strict charge did this Law-maker give to Moses See saith he that thou do all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the Mount He must not vary one pin * But some will say When the Tribes of Israel were reduced under a kingly

government as in Davids time the service of God was in greater state and externall pomp when the Temple was built then it was before in the Tabernacle whereby it may appear that there was a liberty left to David to alter the form of worship so as was sutable to the Regall state But I answer Here was no liberty left to man to alter any thing in the worship of God or in the Church-government For God was so exact in this that he would not leave it to David himself though both a King and a Prophet and a man after Gods own heart to set up what worship he pleased in the Temple but God gave him an exact patterne of all and that not onely by his Spirit but in writing that he might neither adde nor omit in the least tittle 1 Chron. 28. And you know it was never left to the Kings of Judah to do the least thing in point of Reformation but onely to see that the Priests do all strictly not any thing as seemed good to them but all according to the precise rule of the Law 2 Chron. 31. Now was the great Law-giver so strict under the old Testament and is he grown more remisse under the New In Ezekiels vision of the Temple or Church in the time of the Gospel Ezek. 43. 10 11. wee reade of a patterne form fashion of everie particular thing of the House of God which is his Church exactly set down and measured by Gods own speciall direction Or are men more wise and more faithfull now then David was that Christ should trust every Nation with such a liberty as this to alter and diversifie Church-government and Discipline so as might be most agreeable to this or that Kingdoms Common-weales Countreys custome commodity conveniencie And as for your Nationall Church here mentioned we shall take a just measure of it when we come to your ninth Question And whereas you quote in the Margine 1 Cor. 14. 40. 11. 34. on which you ground your liberty to form your Church-government Discipline sutably to each particular Civill government Alas brother these very Scriptures our Prelates abused to maintain their unlimited liberty of setting up their rites and ceremonies as sutable to the Civil government which absurdity I have fully refelled in my Reply to Canterburies Relation Whereas the Apostle there exhorteth that all things be done decently and in order according to those rules they had received of him to which agreeth the other place alledged by you Other things will I set in order when I come as Titus 1. 5. He left Titus in Crete that he might set in order the things that remained but all according to the Apostles direction for Church-government and choice of Officers And we should have a mad world of it if civill States in severall Countreys should have liberty to frame Church-government and Discipline as should most sute with their particular conditions This liberty is that which both Ecclesiasticall and Civill States usurping turned the spirituall Kingdom of Christ over Consciences and Churches into a temporal and secular Kingdom or rather indeed an Anti-christian Tyranny or Hierarchy so as by this means it came to passe that the second Beast ascending out of the earth to wit the Pope Revel. 13. 11. commands the inhabitants of the earth to make an image that is to set up a forme of Religion and Church-government sutable to the Image of the first Beast to wit the Imperiall State of Rome And thus came to be erected the Hierarchicall Church-government in all pomp and points sutable with the Romane Monarchy So dangerous is that libertie which brings such bondage According to that Licentia sumus omnes deteriores this brings not liberty but licentiousnesse Your second Question is Whether if any Kingdome or Nation shall by a Nationall Councell Synod and Parliament upon serious debate elect such a publick Church-government Rites Discipline as they conceive to be most consonant to Gods Word to the Laws Government under which they live and manners of their people and then settle them by a generall Law all particular Churches members of that Kingdome and Nation be not therefore actually obliged in point of * conscience and Christianity readily to submit thereto and no wayes to seek an exemption from it under pain of being guilty of arrogancie schisme contumacie and liable to such penalties as are due to these offences I answer That is Whether the Kingdome and Nation of England c. The summe is you would here make way for a politicall State Church-government or a mixt Church-government partly according to Gods word and partly to the Laws and government under which we live and partly to the manners of the people Humano capiti cervicem jungere equinam Or populout placerent c. Truly brother your very question is hereticall you must pardon the expression which otherwise would not come home to the full truth And your word Elect imports no lesse For Elect taken in that sense as you here apply it to set up a form of Religion of Church-government and Discipline with Rites and ceremonies sutable to the Laws and customes of a State and manners of the people and AS MEN CONCEIVE is of the same signification with {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth a taking up an heresie upon humane election or as you say As they conceive For you say not Such a Church-government c. as is most consonant to Gods word but such as they conceive to be most consonant So as you hang your Church-government upon mens conceit or opinion of consonancy with Gods word and not upon a reall and essentiall consonancy Just like the Prelate of Canterbury who in his Relation hangs the credit of the Scripture upon the Author and the opinion we have saith he of his sufficiency Which I have noted in my Reply But thus you open a wide sluce to let in an ocean of inundation of all sorts of Religion into all parts of the vvorld vvhen every Religion shall be measured by the line of mans conception what men CONCEIVE agreeable to Gods word Thus might Henry 4. the late French King to make his way the easier to the Crown through so many difficulties apostatize from the Protestant Religion and turn to Popery as conceiving it sutable to the word of God to comply with the State of France and the manners of the people for the establishing of his kingdome as he conceived though he was deceived by becoming himself a Popish King And so Jeroboam with his Counsell might CONCEIVE it agreeable enough to Gods word to set up his Calves most sutable to the new laws and customes of that State and to the manners of the people who are apt enough to embrace idolatry and superstition as Ephraim willingly walked after the commandment Hos. 5. 11. And so in the rest Now that is an heresie which is an error conceived and maintained against the word of God

an eye to the peoples manners and how they stand affected When the Lord Cromwell had set forth the Primmer or Psalter without the Letany all the Popishly affected which were not a few could not be quiet till they had cried up the Letany again into its old place So as in sine through the love of superstition in the people and the love of the world in the Prelats alias the Reformers many of whom afterwards God reformed and purged in the flames of Martyrdome such a Reformation was set up as for Church-government and Discipline onely translating the Popes headship and setting it upon the Kings shoulders was the very same with that which was in Henry 8. his dayes and is at this day in Rome and did so well sute with the Civill Government and manners of the people that a Generall Law was enacted for the ratifying of that Prelaticall Government and Discipline which hath bred such manners in the people generally to this day as if another Reformation shall be set up wherein the peoples manners shall be no lesse looked upon then in the former as you here doe more then seeme to plead for I can conjecture if not certainly divine what a Reformation both for Church-Government and Discipline your Church of England is like to have For if you aske the Prelaticall party consisting of multitudes of their Priests and of their ignorant and prophane people together with all the Kings Army they will all with one voyce and vote roare it out at the Canons mouth W will have the Bishops Church-government and Discipline continued without alteration If ye aske the ordinary Protestant professors at large they cry No no not that but we will have such a Church-government as under which we may injoy no lesse libertie for our manners then we had under the Prelates But you referre us to the serious debate of a Nationall Counsell Synod Parliament But yet give us leave to put a vast difference between all these and the Scripture Christs owne voyce If they truely informe us of the minde of Christ in the Scripture we will blesse God for it but yet if we can find out the mind of Christ by his immediate voyce we dare not suspend our beliefe and practise of it until we have it at the second hand from men And should we waite never so long upon the issae of their debate commended unto us to be such as men conceive to be agreeable and cons●nant to Gods Word yet for as much as we dare not * pinne our soules upon mens sleeves as not knowing as one said whither they might possibly carry them therefore we must examine all mens determinations in matters of Religion by * searching the Scriptures and laying every thing to this line and rule For the Bereans are commended as the more noble in that they examined diligently and daily even the Apostles doctrine by the Scriptures and much more are wee to try the spirits of men that are not Apostles and so not immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost with infallibility of truth as never any Generall Councell after the Apostles hath been So as you know how miserably and shamefully Generall Councels have erred The first Councell of Nice consisting of 318. Bishops how did they all agree to bring in a Doctrine of Devills prohibiting Priests marriage had not one Confessor Paphnutius by evidence of Scripture and reason cryed it downe and so swayed the whole Councell And you know very well that Generall Councels as well as Nationall have not infallibilitie of judgement in all things And it cannot be unknowne to you that even this Assembly of Divines are of different judgements about Church-governement and Discipline nor have they perhaps had so much time since their being under the Prelacy as to be throughly informed of the way of Churches commonly called Independent but that many of them may possibly gaine much more knowledge of it by spending some more time and study in it But Sir besides all this you seeme to lead them such a way should they follow you as would necessarily bring them into an inevitable and inextricable errour in case they should elect such a publick Church-government Rites Discipline as they conceive to be most consonant to Gods Word to the Lawes Government under which we live and manner of the people For if they looke upon the manner of the people which they must needs finde to bee for the most part very loose to speake nothing of Ignorants and Popish Malignants some men might conceive that such a Church-government and Discipline were most sutable as doth most comply with and give some indulgence to such manners as cannot easily be brought to enter in at the straite gate and narrow way that leads into Christs kingdome And whatsoever Church-government and Discipline comes not full home in all things to the word of God is not that which is consonant thereunto and so not pleasing unto God and the more consonant it is to Gods Word the more strict and holy it will be found to be and so the lesse consonant to the common prophane manners of this Nation at this day Worthy of our observation is that of the Lord to the Prophet Jeremy Jere. 15. 19. If thou take forth the pretions from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth let them returne unto thee but returne not thou unto them Whereupon the most learned Interpreter as the learned Beza constantly styles him Calvin among many other excellent observations on this place thus concludeth Summa est veritatem Dei non debere flecti ad hominum arbitrium quae Deus non mutatur ita nec verbum ejus ullam varietatem admittit The summe is That the truth of God ought not to bee bended according to mans will or conceit because God is not mutable so neither doth his Word admit of any change Now the forme of Church-governement and Discipline laid downe in the New Testament is a Doctrine of Christ and no more alterable according to the varieties of mens customes and manners in all nations and ages then the Gospel it selfe is which the Apostle would not have to bee altered into another Gospel though another Gospel cannot bee as neither another kingdome of Christ another Church-governement another Church-discipline ought not to be but that alone which we find in Gods Word which must not bee reduced or conformed as a nose of waxe to which the Papists as Hosius and Pighius doe compare the Scripture to the fashions of worldly governments Rom. 12. 2. and popular manners but these must be conformed to the Scripture Hence it may appeare how rough your conclusion of this Question is if to such a generall law as you propose all particular Churches members of this Kingdome and Nation should not yeeld to be actually obliged in point of conscience and Christianitie and readily to submit thereunto and no waies to seeke an exemption from it under paine of being guiltie

much the more when they consider this is a time of Reformation and we have all taken a covenant each to go before other in reforming not only our selves but all others within our line according to the word of God And again the case between our Reformation at this time and that of the Jewes church is much alike For as th a was the Gospell-Reformation so is this as that was a gathering of such churches out of that of the Jewes as acknowledged Christ to be their onely King and Law-giver to govern consciences and churches by his Word when the rest of that church even the main body of it did reject Christ and renounce him for their King this being the very Title set over him on his crosse for which they crucified him So the preaching up of Christs Kingdome in these dayes is that which calleth and gathereth those unto Christ who acknowledge him alone for their King to govern them and this out of those that doe not or will not submit unto his Kingly government but depend upon the sole determination of men what kinde of church-governement they will set up in the Land which you tell us must be sutable to the lawes and customes of the Realme and manners of the people But there is yet one thing more for which you say you can see no ground and that is particular church-government Why brother why should the lawfulnesse of this be doubted whether explicit or implicit It is the churches wisedome and care yea conscience and duty too as we humbly conceive to admit of none but such as can give some account of the worke of grace wrought in them though but in the least degree yet in truth so far as we may discern them to be Saints for such onely are fit members of a church or body of Christ so as to partake of those holy Ordinances of Christ which none but visible Saints ought to partake of And who are fit to receive the Seales of the covenant but such as professe to be in covenant And surely if any shall refuse to make this profession of their being in covenant as being ashamed thereof with what conscience can the Church admit them into fellowship And you know this is a time of Reformation and we have long been under a yoke of Antichristian-government and of humane ordinances in the worship of God wherein we have all violated our vow and covenant made in our names in our Baptisme Now doth not reason require that we should renew our covenant in our own persons when we come to enter into the way of Reformation and that in as full a manner as possibly we can And when the people of God came out of Babylon to inhabit Ierusalem again they made a covenant among themselves when seeking the way with their faces thitherward they say Come and let us joyn ourselves to the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall not bee forgotten The case is ours in a great measure who are now inquiring the war to Sion with our faces thitherward and shall we be abashed to come to Sion from all the reliques of Babylon and not incite one another as they did to enter into a perpetuall covenant with the Lord Christ as our onely King not to be forgotten And the like wee read Ezra 10. 5. and Nehem. 9. 38. so did King Asa 2 Chron. 15. 12. Now if any require an example hereof in the New Testament I answer what needs it when wee have it in the Old What example have we in the New Testament for baptizing of Infants Yet having a commandement in the Old for circumcising the Infants of beleeving Abraham as being included in the same covenant with faithfull Abraham the intaile of this Covenant never yet out off but reaching to all Abrahams seed walking in the steps of Abrahams faith now under the Gospel infants of beleeving parents professing to be in covenant have the same right unto baptisme as being within the covenant which the infants of beleeving Abraham had unto circumcision in stead whereof baptisme by Gods institution succeeded and this by a strict charge and command from God Gen. 17. 13 14. which is as strong now for baptizing of Infants of beleeving parents as it was to the infants of beleeving Abraham for circumcision Again what example yea or precept is there of giving women the Lords Supper in the New Testament yet upon good consequence it is drawn from thence But this by the way And to conclude this point what reason can any man bring against this particular Church-covenant And if any doe disrelish it they are onely such as take a disgust of the way itselfe and then no marvell if every thing about it be quarrelled and questioned though no other reason can be given of it but a Nolumus such as the Jewes gave when they said of Christ Nolumus * We will not have this man to reigne over us Which speech was the more notorious as being delivered by an Embassage a solemne act of State of the Eldership and they his own Citizens though a little after vers. 27. he declares them his enemies and for this very thing that they would not hee should reigne over them commandeth them to be brought and slaine before him But this by the way though not unworthy of wise mens sad observation Object But it will be said wee have covenanted already in the Nationall Covenant Answ. This is against things upon supposition that we were convinced of the evill of them but not about our own persons as enquiring whether we indeed are willing to give up ourselves to the Lord Iesus 2. This was put in by such outward authority that many for feare tooke it which a Church-covenant under the Gospell where the people are to be such as come willingly will not beare for under the Law indeed there was another order but appointed by God that they might be forced to the covenant that they had received in their fathers but our fathers were over-awed and secondly no such order now The eighth Question This question though somewhat involved and perplexed with many branches yet the scope being to prove a Nationall Church and so a common Presbyterian Classicall government to which particular congregations persons ought to be subordinate and thereby an apparent subversion of the Novell Independent invention These are your words The whole I reduce into form thus Where there bee infallible proofes of Nationall Churches there of necessity must be a common Presbyterian Classicall government to which particular congregations persons ought to be subordinate to the apparent subversion of the NOVEL INDEPENDENT INVENTION But there be infallible proofes of Nationall Churches as the Catholick Church the Nationall Church of the Jewes the Synodall Assembly of the Apostles Acts 15. who made and sent binding decrees to the Churches seconded with all Oecumenicall Nationall Provinciall Councels Synods and the Church-government exercised throughout the world