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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A37500 Vniformity examined whether it be found in the Gospel or in the practice of the churches of Christ / by Wil. Dell ... Dell, William, d. 1664. 1646 (1646) Wing D936; ESTC R21430 7,409 8

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Vniformity Examined Whether it be found in the GOSPEL OR IN THE PRACTICE OF THE CHURCHES of CHRIST By WIL DELL Minister of the Gospel 2 COR. 4. 13. We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken wee also beleeve and therefore speake Published according to Order LONDON Printed by J. COE for HENRY OVERTON in Popes Head Alley 1646. Vniformity Examined OBserving that our Brethren of Scotland together with the Assembly of Divines and the rest of the Preshyterian judgement do often both in their discourse and writings exceedingly presse for Vniformity I have been urged in my spirit to think upon the matter and to consider whether there could be any such thing found in the word of the New Testament or in the practice of the Churches of Christ And for my part I ingenuously professe I cannot yet discover it and would be glad if any would instruct me further in this particular so he do it from the Word Now Vniformity what is it but an unity of form and the form they mean no doubt is outward for the inward form as it cannot be known by the outward senses so neither can it be accomplished by outward power And therefore till I know their meaning better I conceive that by uniformity they understand an unity of outward form in the Churches of God yea some of them do declate so much calling the thing they would have Externall uniformity Now such a thing as this after so much meditation and recollection as my other imployments and the many distractions that necessarily attend my present condition will permit me I cannot discern in the word of the Gospell For Christ speaking of the Church of the New Testoment saith Iohn 4 23. The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth In which words it is most evident that the worship of God in the time of the New Testament is inward and spirituall consisting in faith hope love and prayer the op●ration of the three former c. And so is so far from Vniformity as hath been explicated and as they understand it that it is not at all capable of it And therefore I cannot but wonder at the strange workings of darknesse in the mindes of men who would have an externall Vniformity in a worship that is inward and spirituall and of which the outward form is no part at all but is meerly accidentall and so absolutely various Again as I finde not this Uniformity in the doctrine of the Gospel so neither in the practice of the Saints who had the spirit of the Gospel as that practice is represented to us in the Word In Acts 1. 14. I read how the Apostles being together with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus his brethren continued with one accord in prayer and supplication and Acts 2. v. 44. 46. how all that believed were together and continued daily with one accord in the Temple and did break bread from house to house c. And in all this there was Unity but no externall Vniformity neither name nor thing Again Acts 4. 23. Peter and Iohn being let go by the Magistrates went to their own company which many of our Clergy would term a Conventicle and reported all that the chief Priests and Elders had said to them and when they heard it they lift up their voice to God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with one accord and prayed Here was inward Unity in faith and love and joy and spirituall prayer bur no externall Uniformity and vers. 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul Unity still but nothing of externall uniformity Further we read Acts chap. 7. and chap. 8. that Stephen and Philip who by the Church were ordained Deacons and were to serve only for the Ministery of the Table yet by vertue of the anointing preached the word of God freely and powerfully and how all the Members of the Church of Ierusalem who were neither Ministers nor Deacons being scattered abroad by persecution went preaching the Word every where where they came in that case of necessity the unction of the Spirit of which all believers partake alike being one fundamentall ground of such Ministery where there are no Believers to call to the Office and in all this though there was unity of faith spirit and doctrine yet I am sure they will say there was no such uniformity as they would have Again Acts 20. Paul the first day of the Week preached to the Disciples of Macedonia from the Evening till Midnight which Dr. Pocklington in a printed Sermon saith was out of order that is out of Prelaticall order or Presbyteriall uniformity and after brake bread and did eat and talked with them a long while till break of day and going from thence he arrived at Ephesus and there called the Elders of the Church together and appeals to them after what manner he had been with them to wit serving the Lord with all humility of minde I wish the Assembly would mark that and mark it again and with many tears and temptations c. and how he had held back nothing profitable for them but had taught them publikely and from house to house which I wish were more in use now-a-dayes if it might obtain so much leave from uniformity and had preached to them R●pentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ our chief work toward God since our fall and corruption being Repentance which is the change of the creature towards God through Gods own work in the creature and this is not done without the sorrow of the flesh and our chief work towards Christ who is given to us as a head being Faith or Union And in the end exhorts the Presbyters to take heed to themselves who according to the Church principles of this age want no admonition themselves seeing they are become a peremptory rule to all others and to the flocks over which the holy Ghost and not Patrons hath made them overseers to feed the Church of God which he had purchased with his own bloud c. But in all this neither practices himselfe nor preaches to them nor commands them to preach to others or impose upon others any such kind of thing as externall vniformity And so surely they that so vehemently urge this thing that they make it all in all in their Reformation have some other teacher then the Apostle who being taught of Christ as Christ was taught of God yet knew no such thing at all in the worship of God as vniformity And yet further that the world if it be possible may be the more convinced observe a little more seriously the practice of Christ and the Saints in reference to this poynt