He hath given them vast instruction how to do it And 4. What do they import save Reformation 3. As it is the great glory of God to Institute and plant Churches for the Edification of his people that his special presence may be amongst them before their apostacy c. So it is the greatest glory of Christ to reform his Churches that his Presence may continue amongst them after their apostacy and defection c. For 1. Herein he delivers them from the great removeable evils that are on earth And 2. Gives them the most glorious things that are on earth communicable de quibus infra 4. It is the most incomparable state of man on earth In a Thoughly-Reformed state after Christian Apostacy the Saints and Churches of Christ are in the greatest glory that ever they will be in on earth When this Dispensation is ended that in Heaven will immediatly succeed it and continue for ever Quest But who is it that makes such a Preservation the end of his Reformation Resp If we may Judge of mens ends by their actings men of such a spirit are very rare 2. The grand enquiry is not about mens ends but Gods 3. God doth not make mans life his Law 4. In the Reformation of Christian Churches its evident that he aymes at their Preservation inclusively whether men do or not 5. Men ought to use Gods means for Gods ends It s both their duty honour and safety 6. It proceeds from want of Grace in those that do not and is not commendable in the least 7. It concerns us to take heed of being led by ungodly guides Object There be other means to preserve the Churches of Christ Resp 1. Whatever our ends be Gods way to them is the best 2. God hath prescribed Reformation as the way to the Preservation of Churches Leviticus 26.23 c. 3. The Experience of all Ages testifies and convinceth that it is so and the only soveraign Antidote against desolation 4. It s compounded of all the saving Spirituals that are in the World 5. Those other wayes and means are but of humane Invention 6. They are used by Worldly Wise men or carnal Polititians 7. It is not to be expected by Christians that Christ will by them secure his Churches from ruin and desolation but that 8. Where Christian Reformation is not practised mens Ecclesiastical and Spiritual if not their civil and temporal estates and Interests will languish and come to nothing notwithstanding Leviticus 26. c. Wherefore 9. Prudens O tale Caveto Object I see no necessity at all of preserving of Christian Churches Resp 1. The Instituted Churches of Christ are scituated directly in our way to the full fruition of God in Heaven according to Scriptures 2. The continuance of them is absolutely necessary for all those that travel thither 3. They that are travelling to Heaven do discover this necessity 4. The Gospel is hid from all the rest 2 Corin. 4.3 5. The Objection savours very strongly of Atheism and Antiscripturism unbelief and Antichristianism and therefore 6. Those whose spirits appear to be fraught with it must be left to the Judgement of God For 1. Contra negantem principia non est disputandum 2. The Apostle Paul desires the Church to pray for himself and his assistants and successors that they may be delivered from men of such a spirit 2 Thessal 1.1.3.1 2. 3. He commands his Successors in the Ministry 1. To withdraw from such 1 Timothy 6.5 2. To rebuke them sharply Titus 1.13 3. To reject such an one Titus 3.10 4. To turn away from such 2. Tim. 3.5 4. He charges the Churches 1. To let them be anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 2. To avoid them Romans 16.17 3. To let them be accursed Gal. 1.8 9. 5. He himself did actually Excommunicate such 1 Timothy 1. 19 20. 6. The Apostle John adviseth the Saints 1. That they receive not such an one into their houses 2. That they bid him not God-speed 2 John 10. 7. Le ts not trust our own hearts in the Gospel Quest What difference is there betwixt the Properties of Reformed Churches and the Properties of the first planted Churches under the Gospel Resp 1. In general Properties properly are beings that are not of but follow or flow from the essences of their first and next Subjects 2. All Properties are Proportionable to the Essences from which they flow 3. In particular 1. The Churches of God are Essentially the most glorious things in the world and therefore 2. They have the most glorious Properties that are in the world Yet 3. The Essentials of the Churches of God having been sometimes more sometimes less glorious the Properties of them have accordingly been sometimes more sometimes less glorious 4. More particularly 1. The Churches Work and necessity being very various And 2. Greater in times of Reformation than at the first Plantation of Churches God communicated himself to them accordingly So that 5. The Essences of Reformed Churches being more glorious than the Essences of the first Planted Churches under the Gospel The Properties of Reformed Churches are also more glorious than the Properties of the first Planted Churches under the Gospel to instance 1. The members of the first Planted Churches could give much but the members of Reformed Churches can give more for a visible Interest in God They can give more glorious Evidences of their saving conversion and Union with Christ 1. They can make a more express profession of their assent to the truth of the Gospel in general 2. They can extend that profession more particulary to the grand Fundamentals of the Gospel The Messiah is come by owning of it distinctly in the parts thereof 3. They can exert more Acts of Faith and Repentance 4. They can engage themselves more gloriously to continue therein and to walk in all other things also according to the Scriptures and not otherwise 2. The first Planted Churches under the Gospel could walk according to Gospel Rules of Church-Communion but Reformed Churches can conform to them more compleatly and exactly 1. They can glorifie God more 2. They can edifie one another more And 3. They can contribute more towards the Salvation of those that are without Whether they be Infidels Heathen Or Christian Scattered Saints Unreformed Churches or Sauable Apostates 1. By the Doctrinal and practical holding forth of the Word of Life 2. By defending of it And 3. By offending the enemies thereof Such Power is most properly proper to Reformed Churches under the Gospel Quest What difference is there betwixt the practises of the Reformed Churches and the practises of the first Planted Churches under the Gospel Resp As all Properties are proportionable to the Essences so all practises are proportionable to the Properties from which they flow and therefore 1. The Practises of Reformed Churches are the most glorious practises in the World 2 In particular 1. The Members of the Reformed Churches of Christ give most for a visible
the Gospel the twelve Apostles received them immediatly from Christ himself when personally present with them on earth as their Tutor 3. Their seconds Matthias and Paul received them partly by the Ministery of the Church and partly from Christ immediatly Matthias was fitted for the work of the Ministry by Christ when he was personally present on earth Paul by the Spirit of Christ when he was ascended up into Heaven yet so as that the ministery of man was not wholly excluded either their vocation or mission c. Act. 1. 9. chap. c. but 4. The Reformers of the Churches of Christ Timothy Titus the Angels of the seven Churches of Asia c. have ever received them from Christ by the Ministery of the Church or the Officers thereof They have them mostly if not wholly this way for when there are men fit to be made use of in the work of the Gospel Christ ever employs them proportionably he never is in extraordinary wayes but in an extraordinary case t is pure necessity that makes him act by himself alone without means or Instruments 2. They differ in the nature of their Commissions The Commission that the first Preachers and Planters of the Gospel and of Churches by it had shewed was their power to do Miracles Heb. 2.4 This divine Commission they occasionally produced to convince the world of the truth of their mission But the Reformers of the Christian Churches have no such commission 2 Thes 3.8 9. but in stead thereof the Testimonial of approved and most eminent Preachers of the Gospel c. Such a commission Timothy and Titus had from Christ by Paul in his Epistles to them and the Angels of the seven Churches of Asia by John the Apostle in his Epistles to them And all other ordinary Officers of Christ from the Apostles and others in their Epistles to the other Churches respectively Such a commission all their Successors have usually had and still have It s commendably so in these Nations at this day And this is satisfactory and final evidence of an ordinary Minister 3. They differ in the extent of their authority The first Preachers and Planters of the Gospel John the Baptist and Christ might do their work in any part of Judea and the Planters of Churches by the Gospel might do their work in any part of the world but the Reformers of the Churches of Christ are hunted to particular places as Timothy to Ephesus Titus to Crete and the Angels of the seven Churches of Asia to their respective Churches c. Their commission is only to reform those Churches They are there and for that work only and may neither turn to the right hand nor to the left without further order 4. They differ in respect of other maintenance For 1. the first Preachers and Planters of the Gospel were extraordinarily provided for 2. The first Planters of Churches by the Gospel had their maintenance from the members of those Churches out of the common stock which the Church then had Act. 2.44 45 c. 3. In extraordinary cases they were sometimes maintained by their own hand-labour as was Paul Act. 18. but 4. The Reformers of the Churches of Christ have been and are maintained mostly by Tithes Those that have not been or are not thus maintained have been and are maintained by somewhat that is as near as can be equivalent thereunto especially in England almost ever since it was Christian For 1. the Spirit of Christ giving an account of the practice of giving Tithes or a tenth part of all to the Ministers of God with the greatest exactness that can be is so far from stigmatizing that he gives a very fair character of it Luke 18.12 14. Heb. 7. 2. This practice was not founded upon the ceremonial Law but was four hundred and odd years before it Genesis 14.20 and Heb. 7.6 3. Christ hath nowhere repealed but rather established the ancient Laws of God about peoples giving and Ministers receiving of Tithes Levit. 27.30 c. Deut. 14.22 Malac. 3.8 9 10. Luke 11.42 Heb. 7.5 8 9. 4. There 's general equity in such a course what was due to Ministers under the Law is much more due to the Ministers of the Gospel forasmuch as their Ministry is far more excellent 2 Corin. 3. c. 5. The Gospel-spirit hath pointed them out as most due to them and convenient for them 1 Cor. 9. Gal. 6.6 6. Former Magistrates in whose power they were in civil respect in this Nation did accordingly give them to the Ministers successively for ever and it is no small sin to violate so just and pious a will of deceased Magistrates Gal. 3.15 Heb. 9.17 7. There is no other probable way of having and continuing a right Evangelical Ministry and Magistracy throughout this Nation c. Object But we must do as the Apostles did Resp Prove that Universally Object None of the first Reformers were maintained by Tithes Resp It s probably true But 1. want of possession though it may render a mans title suspitious yet it is consistent with the best 2. If it were so that the first Reformers were not maintained by Tithes and be so that some are not yet it neither was nor is because Reforming Ministers have no right to Tithes but either 1. Because they were not Christian Magistrates that would see to the execution of the Laws of Christ and to the doing of Justice according to the Word of God whereby all men might enjoy their rights and properties or 2. Because the Saints enjoyed not liberty to improve their estates but were persecuted and unsetlted or 3. Because in those times they had not whereof to pay Tithes for ex nihilo nihil fit 3. So soon as these impediments were removed in this Nation It paid Tithes where it had things tithable and where it had not it made up a maintenance for its Ministers as equivalent as could be to that by Tithes and so it justly doth at present Object We are not Church-members nay we do not so much as hear those Ministers that will take Tithes c. Resp The Law of grace of God and of the Nation gives Reforming Ministers the Tithes for their support and maintenance in the execution of their commission 2. By vertue of these Laws they have a right unto them and are rightfully in the possession of them 3. Their right to them or possession of them depends not upon mens Church-membership or hearing of them though the Evangelical delivery of them doth 4. All that have a natural capacity ought to have Reforming Ministers be fit for and enjoy all Ordinances by them administrable to visible Saints and Churches of Christ Rev. 2.7 11 17 c. 5. Where self-love is overcome by love to Christ there will neither be head heart nor hand against maintaining of Ministers by donation and payment of Tithes 6. It s well if our innocent opposers of Ministers maintenance by way of Tithes
Interest in God they give the most glorious Evidences of their saving conversion and Union with Christ 1. They make the most express profession of their assent to the Truth of the Gospel in general 2. They extend that profession most particularly to the grand Fundamentals of the Gospel The Messias is come by owning of it distinctly in the parts thereof 3. They exert most acts of Faith and Repentance 4. They engage themselves most gloriously to continue therein and to walk in all other things also according to the Gospel and not otherwise 2. The Reformed Churches of Christ conform most gloriously to the Rules of Church-Communion 1. They glorifie God most 2. They lay out themselves most for the benefit of one another 3. They contribute most towards the salvation of those that are without As are 1. Infidels Heathen and Christian 2. Scattered Saints 3. Unreformed Churches And 4. Savable Apostates 1. By the Doctrinal and practical holding forth of the Word of Life 2. By defending of it And 3. By offending the enemies thereof in a Scriptural way Such are the Practises of the Reformed Churches of Christ Quest What difference is there betwixt the Priviledges of the Reformed Churches and the Priviledges of the first planted Churches of Christ Resp 1. In general Priviledges are special advantages granted to a special person or people by their Superiours 2. They are proportioned to the practises or atchievments of those that have them granted unto them Particularly 1. Though Gods free Grace be the Fountain of all Humane Enjoyments Yet 2. Divine Providence hath so ordered it that 1. In general they that do most have most And 2. In particular they that do most for God have most from God And 3. Therefore the Reformed Churches of Christ have the most glorious Priviledges that are in the World 1. They have the most glorious Administration of the Covenant of Grace Christ is applyed to them in the most glorious manner in all the purest Ordinances of Jesus Christ Isaiah 2.2 3 4.30.20 21 26. 2. They have the most glorious Interest in God Exod. 19.5 6. Levit. 26.12 2 Corin. 6.17 18. 3. They have the most glorious communion with Christ in his Ordinances Revel 27 17. Revel 3.20 4. They grow most under Means of Grace Mal. 4.2 5. They have the most glorious Evidences of their Justification Revel 2.10 11 17. Revel 3.4 5 21. 6. They have the most glorious outward peace amongst themselves Isaiah 11. Micah 4.3 4. 7. They are constituted and fixed by Christ for the main Supporters of Christianity Revel 3.12 8. They have the most glorious power on Earth Revel 2.26 27. 9. Christ causeth them to be honoured even by the greatest enemies of Christianity Rev. 3.9 10. Christ himself secures them in times of greatest danger Rev. 3.10 11. They have the Magistrates for their ordinary protection Isaiah 4.5 6. Isaiah 32.1 2. Isaiah 49.23 Romans 13.3 4. 1 Timothy 2.2 3. 12. They have the most glorious Presence of God alone with them in the tenour of their temporal undertakings Exodus 23.22 c. Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Et alibi passim These are the proper Priviledges of the Reformed Church of Christ In a word Notwithstanding that hellish conspiracy and Antichristian Energy and the terrible tottering of the first Planted Churches of Christ and of the true Reformed Protestant Christian Religion for a thousand years yet neither the one nor the other are totally eclipsed much less ruined but retain their Essentials and had need be Rallyed and new model'd throughout Quest What must we do that we may be a Reformed Church of Christ Resp 1. Repent of your scandalous sins Not walking up to your Baptismal Covenant Apopostacy Neglect of Evangelically approved Ministers of Christ and of the Ordinances by them administrable c. 2. Hear such Preachers Revel cap. 2. 3. 3. Continue therein with patience untill ye think ye can prove that ye have such a Faith in Christ as hath the Promise of Salvation annexed to it in the Gospel Rom. 10 17. 4. When ye think ye can prove that ye have such a Faith make known your arguments to your Minister by conference or otherwise 5. Offer to give Scripture Security for your continuance in the profession and practice of such a Faith and Repentance and to walk in all other things also according to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and not otherwise during life 6. If your supposed evidences of your union with Chrst be approved and accepted by your Minister give the profered Security for your future correspondent Evangelical behaviour 7. If your supposed evidences of your Union with Christ be not yet approved and accepted by your Minister then continue quietly and peaceably under the Ministry of the Word untill they be and then give the profered Security for your said good behaviour according to the Gospel and then 8. Your Minister must solemnly admit or declare you being seven or more a Reformed Church of Christ 9. Being so admitted or declared ye are a visible Reformed Protestant Christian Church of Christ by and in the Eye of the Gospel Quest Are we not a Church of Christ untill then Resp No For 1. We are not a first Planted Church of Christ before And 2. No person is a Reformed Saint untill he have such approved Evidences of his union with Christ Object But we are accounted Saints and a Church of Christ without that or any of it Resp 1. Proh nefas 2 Thessal 2.8 2. Gospel reckoning is the best Romans 2.16 c. And Resp 3. By the Gospel 1. None in our dayes may warrantably expect Salvation but upon the terms above mentioned 2. None may warrantably judge himself to be a Saint or member of a Reformed Church of Christ but upon those conditions 3. No Minister of Christ may Judge or Declare any man to be a Saint or any Society to be a Church of Christ but upon the terms above mentioned respectively 4. Without Ministerial Union and inauguration none are a Reformed Church of Christ 4. Take heed of Antichrist 2 Epist John 8. Quest Must we not be admitted into the state of Reformed Saints or members of a Reformed Church of Christ by Baptism when we are approved of by our Minister Resp No For 1. The Gospel Epistles are calculated directly for our Meridian and 2. There is no Rule for such a Practise 2. It lies upon those that are for the Affirmative and they are desired to prove it if they can 3. In the interim they will do well not to exclaim of and divide from Reforming Ministers and Christians Quest How then must Reformed Christians be installed into the state of a Reformed Church or members thereof Resp Either 1. By your Ministers publique verbal Declaration of his approbation of your evidential Profession and of your being thereupon in that estate and quality Or 2. By laying his hands upon you and praying for you Heb. 6.2 1 Tim. 5.22 Or 3. By his enrolement of your Names in a Book of Record Malathy 3.16 17 18. Or 4. By all or two of these together to bring our Divisions to An end