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truth_n	heart_n	spirit_n	worship_v	4,411	5	8.9748	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57976	A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbyterie in Scotland, or, A modest and brotherly dispute of the government of the Church of Scotland wherein our discipline is demonstrated to be the true apostolick way of divine truth, and the arguments on the contrary are friendly dissolved, the grounds of separation and the indepencie [sic] of particular congregations, in defence of ecclesiasticall presbyteries, synods, and assemblies, are examined and tryed / by Samuell Rutherfurd ...	Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.	1642 (1642)	Wing R2389; ESTC R7368	261,592	504

who confesseth our Thesis that in these words tell the Church Christ doth understand the Presbytery or Eldership Hence the word Church in the New Testament doth not alwayes signifie the Church of Believers Disciples Brethren who pray in Christs name and are heard in Heaven and are builded on the Rocke and are the body and spouse of Christ for a number may be and often is an Eldership judicially excommunicating and a Presbytery yea and also including some externally professing Christ who are not a company of redeemed ones built by saving faith upon the Rocke Jesus Christ. Also it is insolent that the word Church here should signifie both precisely the Eldership and also in that same vers the whole Congregation of believers because the same Church to the which the offended brother should put in his bill of complaint is that very Church which must be heard and obeyed under the pain of excommunication 2. It is hard that the offender should be excommunicated for not hearing and obeying the Congregation of believers who are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over him in the Lord. 3. By grant of M. Parker the Church of believers hath not power from this place Mat 18. to ordaine pastors to themselves when they want pastors or to excommunicate their own Eldership in case of scandalous sins which is against his grounds and our Brethrens principles who ascribe this authority to the Congregation of believers because a number of believers is not an Aristocraticall part and a select Presbytery and Eldership as he saith is meaned in this word tell the Church 14. The Church here cannot well mean a visible Congregation of believers and Elders conveened to heare the Word preached so as he who contemneth two private admonitions should be accused and censured in the face of the Congregation conveened to hear Gods Word Because the Church meeteth in Christs name for Gods worship if they meet in faith and humble sense of sinne with purpose of heart to worship God in spirit and truth but there is some other thing required that the excommunicating Church meet for the actuall exercise of discipline for beside meeting in Christs name there is required that the Church meet with Pauls spirit and the rod of discipline 1 Cor 5. 4. That yee meet in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and my spirit with power of our Lord Iesus Christ. Then Pauls spirit as an Elder who hath power of the rod a spirit and power of excommunication is required to this meeting But I doubt not but the Church of believers did meet at Corinth 1 Cor 11. for hearing the Word and receiving the Lords Supper and for ordinary wor●hip and praying and praysing when it was not needfull that Paul should write That yee meet together in the name of our Lord Iesus and my spirit to heare the Word and to receive the Lords Supper There was no need of Pauls spirit for that therfore I conclude that this meeting of the excommunicating Church requireth another spirit and authoritative power to deliver to Satan such as was in Paul then is required in ten believers meeting in faith without Pauls authoritative power to heare Gods Word For Paul saith of his authoritative meeting I verily absent in body but present in spirit have judged c. but Paul knew that they might meet as a number of believers to heare the Word whither Paul be absent or present in spirit and this I observe for their mistake who teach that two or three agreeing together upon Earth and praying for one thing are heard of God as it is said Mat 18. 19 20. is an independent Church having the power of the Keyes for first Christ then hath not provided a sure way for removing scandals And when he saith tell the Church this tell the Church must be a definite visible conspicuously known Church now in one congregation one province one nation there be three hundreth six or ten hundreth threes or fours of professed believers if every three and every foure be an independent Church to which of all these many threes and fours shall the plantiffe addresse himselfe for they be all equally independent Churches the plantiffe is left in the midst and knoweth not his ordinary judge there be so many tribunals in one Congregation yea in one Family 2. How many key-bearing Churches shall be within one independent Congregation who may all meet in publike in one house for the joynt worshiping of God together 3. Christ in these words where he is said to heare two who shall agree together upon earth as touching one thing hath no purpose to erect visible Churches with the full power of the keyes consisting only of three or foure believers but he doth argue here from the lesse to the more as Bucer saith and as Musculus God will not only ratifie excommunication but he will heare the prayers of his children universally and this promise ver 20. of Christs presence amongst two or three is more large and generall then his promise to ratifie the sentence of excommunication even that Christ will be with his owne howbeit they be not Church-waies conveened or rather as Paraeus saith it is a generall promise of the presence of Christs grace in his Church sive magnâ sive parvâ either great or small and I grant it will prove the power of our Church sessions in Scotland very well where there is often but one Pastor and some few ruling Elders but Christ cannot promise a Church-presence of his Spirit and grace or such a presence wherby he ratifieth the censures of the Church but where there is a Church consisting of Elders and people but if the words be pressed according to the letter and definite number then it shall follow that every two believers yea suppose two women agreeing on earth to pray for one thing shall be a Ministeriall Church having the power of the keys which is most absurd For a number of believers make not a Church having the power of the keys for 1. They want the power of binding and loosing by preaching 2. They are not a golden candlestick in the which Christ walketh as a visible Church is Rev. 1. Christs meaning the● must be I promise my presence to the smallest Church suppose it were possible that a Ministeriall Church could consist of the least number that is even of two only but Christs purpose is not to make every two believers a visible Ministeriall Church and every believing Family a congregation having the power of the keys Vasquez the Jesuite hath arguments and ancients to speak from the Text this which we say which can hardly be answered See that Enchiridion of the Province of Cullen under Charles the V. See also Jansenius Maldonat and others on this Text. CHAP. IX Q. 9. What members are necessarily required for the right and lawfull constitution of a true politicke visible Church to the which we

non habet The tongue of the condemned hath a noise of words but no power to perswade except this be also true Magna vis veritatis Truth may swim it cannot sinke But I speake to the godly the lover of the Truth the sufferer for Truth against Antichristian Prelacy which is but spilt Popery or half-dyed Papistry who possibly liketh not well of Presbyteriall government And to such I am a debtor for love charity honour and all due respect in Christ Jesus and a seat and lodging in my heart and highest esteeme And to thinke of all such is both as the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meet And also if it be beside the truth an honest and almost innocent error Yea and to say to every one in whom as reverend Bucer saith there 's aliquid Christi any of Christs new Creation as Ierom said to a friend tibi quod possum debeo quod non possum I owe to thee what I am able to doe and more for thy good And of these I humbly beg equity charity and unpartiall weighing of precious truth I am grieved that this should bee put on mee which a Heathen laid on his friend Amavit patriam quia suam non quia patriam he loved his countrey because his owne not because his countrey Seeing it's weaknesse to overlove a Nationall faith because Nationall and not because it 's faith Truth naked and stripped of all supervenient relations is love worthy And there is as great cause of sorrow that all the Lords people should not mind one thing and sing one Song and joyne in one against the children of Babel Neither should I feare that animo dolenti nihil oportet credere sorrow deserveth no faith Since my witnesse is in heaven and my record on high That I both love and dispute I contradict and I reverence at once in this Treatise and shall hope if any be otherwise minded God shall even reveale this unto them And it is meet so to doe since our Physician Christ can well difference betwixt weaknesse and wickednesse and will not have us cast one straw before any whose face is towards Heaven to cause them to stumble Love hath a bosome and armes to carry the weake Lambes and is a bridge over the River to keep the weake passenger dry footed Dearly beloved let us all in one Spirit one love one affection joyne to build the City that is named The Lord is there O that our Lord would be pleased to suspend the Heaven and glory of some and that our Heaven might for a season be stayed out of Heaven so we might live to see two Sisters the Daughters of one Father and of one Mother Ierusalem who is above Britaines Israel and Iudah England and Scotland comming together weeping and asking the way to Sion and their faces thither ward saying Come let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten And not that only for why should the Glory of our Royall and princely King the plant of Renowne be confined within this narrow Isle o● Britaine but that he would make us eye-witnesses of his last Marriage-glory on earth when he having cast the cursed milstone Babylon in the Sea and sowne the land of graven Images with brimstone and destroyed Idols out of the earth shall be espoused on our elder Sister the Church of the Jewes and the fulnesse of the Gentiles O that Christ would enlarge his Love bed And O what a honour to the servants of the Lord to beare up the taile of Christ his Marriage-robe-royall in the day of our high and royall Solomons espousals And what a second time-Heaven were it before eternities Heaven to have a bed in his chariot which is bottomed with gold and paved and floured with Love for the daughters of his last married Ierusalem And who knoweth but our Lord hath now entred on that glorious Marriage-suit Let us beleeve wait on love follow truth and peace be zealous for the Lord and pray for the exalting of his Throne And so I am Yours in all respective love and observance S. R. A Table of the Contents of the ensuing Treatise CHAP. 1. QUEST 1. WHether the keyes of the Kingdome of Christ be conferred by Christ Jesus upon the multitude of beleevers as upon the first and proper subject or upon the Church-guides only p. 1. CHAP. 2. QVEST. 2. Whether or no some doe warrantably prove from Scripture that the power of the keyes is given to all the faithfull p. 20. CHAP. 3. QVEST. 3. Whether or no the Church of beleevers in a Congregation be the first Church having the highest power of jurisdiction within it selfe and that independently and a power above and over the Eldership to constitute and ordaine them and to censure depose and excommunicate them in the case of corruption of Doctrine and scandals of life and conversation p. 30. CHAP. 4. QVEST. 4. Whether or no our brethren prove strongly that the Church of beleevers is the first Church having supreame jurisdiction over the Eldership p. 38. CHAP. 5. QVEST. 5. Whether or no some doe warrantably affirme the power of the keyes to be originally and essentially in the Church of beleevers and in the Church-guides only quoad exercitium and from the Church of beleevers as the Mistresse whom the guides are to serve and from whom they have borrowed the use of the keyes p. 52. CHAP. 6. QVEST. 6. Whether Christ hath left the actuall government of his Church to the multitude of beleevers p. 63. CHAP. 7. QVEST. 7. If there be no true visible Church in the New Testament but only one Congregation meeting in one place and no Presbyteriall or representative Church as they call it p. 70. CHAP. 8. QVEST. 8. Whether or no our Saviour doth warrant and allow a Church of Elders and Overseers in these words Mat 18. Tell the Church p. 83 85. CHAP. 9. QVEST. 9. What members are necessarily required for the right and lawfull constitution of a true Politicke visible Church to the which we may joyn in Gods worship p. 92. CHAP. 10. QVEST. 10. Whether or no it be lawfull to separate from a true Church visible for the corruptions of Teachers and wickednesse of Pastors and professors where faith is begotten by the preaching of professed truth p. 120. CHAP. 11. QVEST. 11. Whether or no separation from a true Church because of the sinnes of the Professors and manifest defence of scandalous persons can be proved from Gods word to be lawfull p. 149. CHAP. 12. QVEST. 12. Whether or no some doe warrantably teach that Baptisme should be administrated onely to Infants borne of one at least of the nearest Parents knowne to be beleevers and who are to be admitted to the Lords Supper p. 164. CHAP. 13. QVEST. 13. Whether or no every particular Congregation and Church hath of it selfe independent power from Christ Jesus to exercise the whole power

hath to Christ is not the ground why the keyes are given to that people as to the originall subject because they may have the Word Sacraments and keyes a long time and yet want faith in Christ and so all title and claime to Christ All which time they have the keyes discipline and Sacraments and I beleeve their acts of discipline censures and Sacraments are valide therefore the Church redeemed and builded on the rocke Christ is not the kindly subject of the keyes 2. The keyes are given to professors cloathed with a ministeriall calling whither they be beleevers or unbeleevers howbeit God giveth them for the salvation and edification of beleevers 3. There is nothing required to make a independant Congregation but an profession of the truth covenant-wayes and outward worshipping of God suppose the members be unbeleevers 4. Conclusion There is a visible governing Church in the new Testament whose members in compleat number of beleevers doth not meet in one place ordinarily for the worship of God neither can they continually so meet 1. The Church of Jerusalem was one Church under one government and called one Church in the singular number which grew from one hundred and twenty Acts 1. to three thousand one hundred and twenty Acts 4. 41. and then added to these Acts 4. 4. five thousand men which is eight thousand one hundred and twenty And Acts 9. 35. all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron turned to the Lord v. 42. many in Joppa beleeved in the Lord Acts 20. 21. many thousands of the Jewes beleeved Acts 5. 14. multitudes of beleevers moe were added to the Lord both of men and women Acts 6. 1. their number were multiplyed Now it was not possible they could all meet in one house especially seeing that prophecye was to take its first accomplishment at Jerusalem where all flesh was to see the salvation of God And that of Joel 2. I will poure my spirit on all flesh It s true Bayne saith this Church was numerous by accident at extraordinary confluences of strangers Yet the multitudes of thousands which I have observed from the story of the Acts granting the confluence Acts 2. of nations to be extraordinary did meet daily Acts 2. 46. from house to house Now so many thousands could not meet daily that is ordinarily 2. From house to house in private houses and so it is not possible all that people did make but one Congregation independent where 1 all had voices in discipline 2. all did breake bread that is receive the Sacrament in a private house so that their meeting together must be taken distributively in diverse Congregations not collectively for that were against edification 2. against the nature of congregationall worship 2. There was a visible Church in Samaria under one government that could not convene in all the members in one place The numerous people in Samaria converted to the faith is knowne to all it being the head City of the ten Tribes So huge that all Israel was named Samaria They received the faith Acts 8. and as ver 10. They all gave heed to Simon Magus from the least to the greatest So ver 6. with one accord they gave heed unto these things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles that he wrought ver 12. they beleeved and were baptized both men and women And that on Philip might have preached to one single Congregation who doubteth but the number of beleevers were so many that ver 14. the Apostles behooved to send Peter and John to help to hold up the harvest 3. That the Church of Ephesus could not be one single Congregation that met together is cleare 1. There was there a Presbytery of Pastors or Bishops Acts 20. 28. and these preaching or feeding Pastors who were to watch and take heed to false teachers rising up amongst themselves 1. teaching perverse things 2. making Disciples to themselves the teacher and scholler are relata every one of them has respect to other 2. That they were teaching Elders that did follow the Apostles doctrine is cleare Rev. 2. 2. Thou hast tryed them that say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them to be lyars and Christ termeth them one Church for their common government The answer of Tylen saith Christ saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Churches and therefore all the Congregation were one Presbyteriall Church at Ephesus But it is without example in the word that one single Congregation with one Pastor onely and some ruling Elders doth try Ministers gifts and finding them false teachers authoritatively to cast them out so that the harvest has been so great that false teachers calling themselves Apostles resorted to Ephesus to help the good number of Pastors who were there already Acts 20. 28. By this it is cleare that Ephesus had many Congregations in it and many preachers also who in a common society fed the flocke and exercised discipline Rev. 2. 2. neither can we say there was but one Angell there except we make that one a Prelate contrary to the word of God Acts 20. 28. 2. The multitude of converts there required a Presbytery or a multitude of consociated Pastors Acts 19. 20. Paul continued there by the space of two yeares so that all they who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord 1 Cor. 16. 8. there was a great doore and effectuall open to him at Ephesus 2. They were once madly devoted to their great Idoll Diana and had a Temple for her that all Asia wondred at therefore Ephesus was no small Towne This Temple Herostratus saith was built by all Asia and was two hundred and twenty yeares in building and had in it as he saith one hundred and twenty seven pillars every one of them made by severall Kings and every one of them sixty foot high Now ver 19. Pauls miracles were knowne to all the Jewes and Greeks at Ephesus and feare fell on them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified and many of them that beleeved came and confessed and shewed their deeds v. 19. And many that used curious arts brought their books and burnt them before all men And what wonder it is said ver 20. so mightily grew the word of God Paul fought with beasts at Ephesus millions here were mad upon the Idoll Diana If the beleevers had not been the manyest they durst not professe the burning of their bookes nor durst Paul stay there two yeers Hence if there was a setled Church here above two yeares a constituted Presbytery in this City Acts 20. 17 28. that had power of jurisdiction to ordaine teaching Elders and reject hirelings Rev. 2. 2. and so many thousands of Greekes and Jewes such an effectuall doore opened to the Gospell against so many thousands opposing there was not here one onely single independent Church that met in one house only but a Presbyteriall Church Now they could not all preach at one time to them

wit that haereticks adulterers forcerers blasphemers be no parts of Christs visible Church as it is a Church Yea we say that as the tree leg and the eye of glasse and the teeth of silver by art put in the body are no members of the living body so neither are these members of the true Church and so much doe all our Divines as Calvin Beza Junius Whittaker Tilen Piscator Pareus Vrsine Tr●l●atius Sibrandus Amesius prove against Papists 2. Preaching of the Gospell is called a note of the Church and profession of faith a note of the Church both the former is a no●e of the teaching Church or minsteriall Church called Ecclesia docens The latter is a note of the professing Church who professeth the faith which we may call Ecclesia utens or Ecclesia practicè consideram 3. Profession of the faith is thought to be true either Subjectively 2. Objectively Or 3. Both Subjectively and Objectively Profession subjectively is true when the professor doeth indeed professe and avow the truth and doth not only seem to avow professe the truth and this is no note of a true Church because it may be in hypocrites who really goe to Church really heare the word and partake of the Sacraments but not sincerely Profession true objectively is when the professor doth professe that faith which is indeed sound and orthodox And this is a marke of the true teaching or ministeriall Church and may be in a visible company of professors who for the time are not sincere beleevers But a profession of the faith both objectively true and subjectively is when the object is orthodox and sound truth and the professor sincerely and gratiously and with an honest heart beleeveth and professeth the truth and this way profession of the truth is a true and essentiall note of a visible Church as it is a true Church and body of Christ and so are our Divines to be expounded in this doctrine about the notes of the visible Church But withall the visible Church is to be considered in abstracto under the notion of visibility and as visible and as performing all the externall acts of professing governing hearing preaching praising administrating the seales of the covenant binding and loosing in the externall and visible court of Christ and under this reduplication as obvious to mens eyes and therefore in this notion all externall professors who are not manifestly and openly scandalous are to be reputed members of the true visible Church and therefore this tearme would be considered a true visible Church For the adjective true may either be referred to the subject Church and so signifieth the true misticall body of Christ visibly and with all sincerely professing the sound faith Or it may be referred to the other adjective visible and so it is no other but a company of professors visible to our senses and so truely visible whose members may be unsound and false professours Then the question is whither visible Saints 1. forsaking all knowne sinnes 2. Doing all the knowne will of God 3. Growing in grace as saith Smith and the discov of N. Light be the only true matter of a right and lawfully consistent visible Church and congregation so as we are to joyne with no company of worshippers of God but such visible Saints as these and to acknowledge no other society a true Church whereto we are obliged to adjoyne our selves as members save only such a s●ciety Or is this sufficient for the nature and right constitution of a true visible Church that the company that we are to joyne our selves unto as visible members have in it these true markes of a visible Church The pure word of God purely preached and the Sacraments duely administred with discipline according to Gods word and withall a people externally professing the fore-said faith suppose they cannot give to us manifest tokens and evidences that they are effectually called and partakers of the divine nature and translated from death to life and are elected called and justified This latter we hold as the truth of God these of the Separation hold the former Now we must carefully distinguish here what are to be distinguished for there are many questions infolded here of divers natures For 1. The question is if the society have the word seales and right discipline and they professe the truth suppose their lives be wicked whether they should not be answerable to that which they professe I Answer No doubt they ought to be answerable to their light and obey the holy calling 2. What if many of them leade a life contrary to that which they professe and yet the governours use not the rod of discipline to censure them then whether should the members separate from that Church They ought to separate say the Separatists They ought not to separate from the Church and worship say we they are to stay with their Mother but to plead with her and modestly and seasonably say that Archippus and others doe not fulfill their Ministry which they have received of the Lord. 3. What if there be purity of doctrine but extreame wickednesse contrary to their doctrine whether is that company a true Church or not I answer it is a true visible and a teaching or right ministeriall Church but for as farre as can be seene not a holy not a sanctified Church and therefore must not be deserted and left 4. What if the guides receive in as members of the Church those who are knowne to be most scandalous and wicked and not such Saints as Paul writeth unto at Rome Corinth Ephesus Colosse Answ. The faults of the guides are not your faults who are private members you are to keepe publike communion in the publike ordinances of Christ but not to take part with their unfruitfull workes but rather to reprove them 5. What if the members of the Church can give no reall proofes that they are inwardly called sanctified and justified and yet you see no scandalous out-breakings in them to testifie the contrary I answer for as much as grace may be under many ashes as a peece of gold amongst mountaines of earth If they professe the sound faith they are a true visible Church and we are to acknowledge them as such and to joyne our selves as members to such a society or being already members we are to remaine in that society and not to separate from it in any sort The Separation doth complaine that in our Church are as Ainsworth saith swarmes of Atheists Idolaters Papists erronious and hereticall sectaries witches charmers sorcerers theeves adulterers lyars c. The Gentiles enter unto the temple of God the holy things of God the Sacraments indifferently communicated with cleane and uncleane circumcised and uncircumcised And amongst you are thousands who cannot tell how they shall be saved So say others as M. Barrow and Smith Hence inferre they our Church is a false Church not right constitute no Spouse of Christ no royall generation not