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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41439	A full survey of Sion and Babylon, and a clear vindication of the parish-churches and parochial-ministers of England ..., or, A Scripture disproof, and syllogistical conviction of M. Charles Nichols, of Kent ... delivered in three Sabbath-dayes sermons in the parish church of Deal in Kent, after a publick dispute in the same church with the said Mr. Charles Nichols, upon the 20. day of October 1653 / by Thomas Gage ...	Gage, Thomas, 1603?-1656.	1654 (1654)	Wing G111; ESTC R5895	105,515	104

he in his private discourse brought no such Scripture to prove somewhat though nothing denied by me while I asse●t single Parishes to be true Churches and herein I hope I dissent not from the Reverend Presbyters whose Zeal in these troublous dayes I admire whose Godliness and profund Learning I cordially acknowledge and with reverence respect But secondly what from the word Angel I observe is that not many Angels are written unto in so many single Congregations but one onely Angel is named to one onely Angel the writing was directed though in several Churches of that Citie according to the number of them there were several Pastours also from whence I gather that the Discipline in that Citie was so Presbyterial that over all the single Congregations there was some one over●seeing power whether by the name of Bishop or Superintendent as to this day in Swedland and Denmark or some chief Provincial Classis wherein was some chief Moderatour governing with Presbyters Officers Teaching and Ruling Elders to whom in particular Iohn is commanded to write concerning all the other Churches making up as integral parts that one Church of Ephesus But thirdly the holy Spirit of Christ is pleased to stile also single Congregations Churches which my Caviller seems to deny as you may observe in these places Let your Women keep silence in the Churches 1 Cor. 14. vers 34. where note that several single meetings Societies and Congregations making up one Church of Corinth are called Churches and oftentimes mention is made of the Church that is in such or such a House as Rom. 16. vers 5. 1 Cor. 16. vers 19. Coloss. 4. vers 15. Philem. vers 2. whether this be interpreted of the Church made up onely of the Members of that Family or of the Church that ordinarily did meet in such houses with a particular Teacher in that place it implies however a single Congregation and to my purpose such a single Congregation is called Church which it seems is the main point that my Caviller stumbles at who further told me that I could not maintain Parishes to be Churches nor any single Congregations to be Churches but in an Independent way the contrary whereof I shall prove thus briefly in a Presbyterial way The Presbytery grants that many single Congregations as parts make up one Classis or one Provincial Church Ergo Those many single Congregations are true Churches which thus I prove If any thing oppose their true being of Churches it must be according to my Caviller because they are but parts of a Church or body made up by them But their being parts of a Church or body made up by them doth not oppose their true being of Churches Ergo single Congregations are true Churches The Minor proposition I prove thus They are such parts of the whole Church or body made up by them as do partake the nature of the whole But the whole body made up by them is a true Church Ergo The parts and single Congregations making up that whole body are also true Churches The Major or first Proposition I prove thus They are not Heterogeneal parts but Homogeneal parts making up the whole partake the nature of the whole Ergo They are such parts of the whole as do partake the nature of the whole And then But the whole is a true Church Ergo Parishes and single Congregations as Homogeneal parts partaking of the nature of the whole which is a true Church are also true Churches Which beloved that you may the better understand I shall clear it with an instance of Heterogeneal and Homogeneal parts First In mans body the parts making up a compleat body of man are the Head the Shoulders the Arms Hands Leggs and the like Of these parts we cannot say The head is truely the body the Arm is the body the Legg is the body because they are Heterogeneal parts of several natures not partaking the nature of the whole nor of the body But secondly in the Sea or Ocean the parts making up the whole Sea or Ocean are many drops of water which are called Homogeneal parts parting the nature of the whole whose nature is water and every drop of water is as true water as the whole Ocean and of every part or drop it may be said It is water as of the whole it may be said It is water For Homogeneal parts are parts of the same kinde and nature But such parts are single Congregations or single Churches and Parishes making up a Classis or Provincial Church for it cannot be said of many of them that the one is a part as the Head the other as the Arm the other as the Hand or Legg making up that body as Heterogeneal parts of several and distinct natures Ergo They are Homogeneal parts and as the nature of the whole is to be a Church so likewise the true being and nature of these is to be Churches But further This whole Church or Provincial body made up of many single Congregations is Predicable of many inferiours it being as Generical or Specifical in respect of many particulars But such Generical or Specifical Predicates are predicable of inferiours of their own kinde Ergo The inferiour and subordinate Congregations to to this Provincial body are of the same kinde and nature of the whole and of the superiour which being a true Church the inferiours are also true Churches As Man Specificable is Predicable of this Individual of that Individual Man and the other Individual all which Individuals and particular Inferiours agree with the Superiour and common Species in the kinde nature and self-same being of Man Thus having answered this scruple and having fully laid down my judgement against Mr. Nichols his first erroneous Assertion That Parochial Churches are Babylonish and having proved that they are neither Babylonish in their Constitution as Parishes nor in the end of their Constitution or division into Parishes nor in their mixture of good and bad nor to be denied to be true Churches as subordinate to higher Classes I shall hereafter commit to the Press and publick vieu of the World this my judgement delivered here unto you as not ashamed of the Gospel of Iesus Christ nor of any truth belonging unto it And I shall desire Mr Nichols if in case he shall reply that he will answer positively first to my grounds and Arguments in form as I have here laid them down by Syllogismes granting denying distinguishing taking notice of the Authority of the Scriptures expounding them if he can better than my self have done and then to make use of his fair Speeches and Orations by adding what he can to disprove my judgement and to clear his own better than upon the day of our Dispute he did otherwise to expect no second reply from me In the mean while I shall pass on to his second Assertion in the which he affirms that his Congregation is the house of God First I shall lay down and repeat unto

people of God But in the 1 and 6 verses they are observed to be a people not separated from the wickedness of the World but at that time were in the height of corruption in ●he act of Idolatry In the 1 Sam. Chap. 12. vers 22. Samuel calls the people Gods people and so a Church But at the same time they were under corrup●ions and had grievously rebelled against the Lord their God Ergo. A people under corruption may yet be called truely a people and Church of God I doubt not beloved but you well remember and have taken notice of this Argument and I hope you have also l●id up in your memories the slight and f●ivolous answer no● any way ●ati●factory to a troubled and doubting Conscience in so weigh●y a controv●rsie qu●stioning Gods true people and Church Mr. Nichols forsooth as if he had to deal with Babes or silly women to be led captiv● thought to stop our mouths here with any an●●er ●h●ugh but an invention of his own brain and not considering that he st●o● in the presence of a grave and learned Assembly Yet as I pe●c●●ved troubled with the Authority of Scripture answered acknowledging that at those times there was much and gross corruption in the people but yet God having then but one people was loath to cast them off A pretty evasion as if God were bound to a people never so corrupt as if love to one people must make him wink at their corruptions and notwithstanding their gross corruptions to own them and call them his people And why may not we plead as much love to us since Christ exhibited Why must we be cast off from being a people and Church of Christ because some corruptions and corrupt Members are amongst us Is God an accepter of persons or of one people more than of another Are these the priviledges of the Gospel Are fire and sword cutting and casting off for some mens corruptions and altogether unchurching a people the happy times of the Gospel of Christ But before I could go f orward to second my Argument begun in the Iews with an instance of the Church of Corinth of the Churches of Asia and all the Chu●ches to whom Paul directed his Epistles my learned Moderatour taking notice of Mr. Nichols his answer and speaking a word to the purpose of my Argument upholding with me that a people under corruptions of some might yet be called Gods Church and people Mr. Nichols his spirit began to rise against my Moderatour telling him he wondred that he would seem so prophane as to maintain such an errour which my Moderatour taking for a kinde of challenge you may remember he answered Mr. Nichols that what he had said he would maintain either with his pen or in publick dispute Whereupon Mr. Nichols thought fit to breath a little after my hot pursuing him and turning his coat of a Defendant into an Opponent though against the practise of all School Disputants propounded a few Arguments of little worth to my Moderator all to that purpose of Paul 2 Cor. 6. vers 15 16. What concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel and what agreement hath the temple of God with Idols To which my Moderator answered both learnedly and convincingly insisting upon the same Epistle of Paul unto the Church at Corinth and to the Saints at Corinth and yet as he shewed there were amongst them many wicked and corrupt persons as I shall hereafter shew from some particulars I confess besides much froth and shadows of truth the most that I could observe in Mr. Nichols his Arguments to my Moderator was a kinde of wondering exclamations against wickedness and against corruptions in a Church as if he knew not any difference between a visible and an invisible Church nor would take any notice of the corruptions shewed unto him in the visible Church of Corinth to the very last end of his Argunents wondring at our prophaneness in affirming corruptions and wickedness possible in a Church and people of God Whose wandrings and ungrounded exclamations call to my Remembrance a strong controversie in the Church of Rome between the Iesuites and the Dominican Friars concerning the Conception of Mary the mother of Christ whom the Dominican● affirm to have been conceived in Original sin as all that have descended from the loines of Adam and prove it both by reason and Scripture To which the Iesuites not being able to give any Satisfactory answer yet draw most of the common people to side with them yea to make vows to die rather than to forsake that pious and Godly opinion so they term it that Marie was conceived without any spot of Original sin though common to all others that even descended from Adam And though they can produce no Scripture to prove it nor any solid reason yet they work upon the people and answer the Scriptures alleadged by the Dominicans with wonders and exclamations saying What the Mother of Christ a sinner what A spot of sin in her who bare the Lambe without spot in her womb what Defilement of sin in the Temple of Christ and in her whose womb was as a Temple to harbour God and man Such like exclamations were Mr. Nichols his Arguments yea and answers to apparent Scriptures to draw silly people to his seemingly pious opinion What prophaneness wickedness drunkenness corruptions in the house in the Church and among the people of God what concord hath Christ with Belial But no answer to the Church of Corinth all this while At last he replied to my Moderatour Shew me where ever the Apostles received wicked and corrupt persons into their Churches as into your Churches they are received To which demand he answered that neither the Apostles nor we receive wicked and prophane persons into our Churches and Church Communions qua prophane and wicked as prophane but qua as Prosessours and Converts Thus my Worthy and Learned Moderatour and Reverend Pastour of the Church at Word having repulsed Mr. Nichols his darts and blunted the edge of all his Weapons without any ●oyl but rather with great credit as was after confessed by some well-affected to Mr. Nichols himself ended his single Combat and Mr. Nichols made use of that liberty granted him to oppose against me also falling once more upon the word Parishes saying he would prove them not to be Churches which he would indeavour to prove from Queen Maries dayes But I desiring him to look back further to the beginning and fountain of Parishes and Parochial Churches long before Queen Maries dayes he would not frame his Argument from that time of the height of Popery in England as I desired him aiming as I conceived at the abominable corruptions brought into Rome by the Councel of Trent convocated in the year 1547. when our Reformation began as Sleiden observes de Stat. Relig pag. 909. lin 1. Remembring also what before I had shewed him of some dissenting parties to

Chap. 5. vers 7. The state of the Church was very bad and evil Chap. 1. vers 21.22 The teachers were corrupt Chap. 3. vers 12. The women were exceeding vain proud haughty and corrupt Chap. 3. vers 16. compared with the 18. and 23. vers Rich men and chief men they also were very corrupt as you may see in Chap. 5. vers 8. and in Chap. 10. vers 1.2 compared with Chap. 36. vers 3. And all the people in general are complained of Chap. 24. vers 5. and Chap. 48.4 and 8. verses and in the 1 Chap. 2. and 6. verses Yea they were sunk deep in rebellion Chap. 31. vers 6. Yet they were called Gods Church and people But leaving the old Policy as no● suting with Mr. Nichols policy in undermining our Churches because he saith God having but that one people he was loath to cast them off I come to the new policy and new Testament to try whether God did then cast off his people and unchurch them for the corruptions of the wicked among them and first I make my instance in the Church of the Corinthians thus If the Church of Corinth when Paul calleth them a Church and Saints 1 Cor. 1. vers 2. and 2 Cor. 1. vers 1. were as bad and in some things worse than our Pa●ishes then ours are true Churches or theirs were none and so Paul should ●ely them Verum prius The first part of this Proposition is true that they were a Church and Saints for so he stiles them And secondly that they were as bad and in some things worse than our Parishes I prove thus from many evil things reported of them by Paul's Epistles to them Fi●st They had persons as ignorant e●se why saith he to them Awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame 1 Cor. 15. vers 34. Secondly They had persons as contious and so he tells them It ha●h been declared to me of you my brethren by them which are of the house of Cloë that th●re are con●entions among you 1 Cor. 1. vers 11. Thirdly They were as carnal and such he calls them saying Ye are yet carnal for wher●as there is among you envying and stri●e and division are ye not carnal and walk as men 1 Cor. 3. vers 3. Fourthly They were more scandalous than we dare be yea in such a sin as was not so much as named among the Gentiles witness these his words unto them It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his Fathers wife 1 Cor. 5. vers 1. Fifthly They were more erroneous than we denying the Resurrection as Paul reproves them thus If christ be preached that he rose from the de●d how say some among you that there is no Resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15. vers 12. and making Preaching and Faith vain as Paul complains of them saying If Christ be not risen then i● our preaching vain and your Faith is also vain 1 Cor. 15. vers 14. Sixthly They were so corrupt sinfull that they bec●me even obstinate in sin and delighted to continue in uncleanness fornication and lasciviousness as Paul tells them when he giveth them warning of his coming unto them I fear least when I come I shall not finde you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not least there be debates envyings w●ath strifes back-slidings whisperings swellings tumults And least when I come again my God will humble me among you and that I shall bewail many that have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed 2 Cor. 12. vers 20.21 From all these places you may evidently perceive the truth of the first part of my proposition that the Corinthians were as bad and in some things worse than our Parishes Ergo verum est posterius what follows is true also that if they for all these corruptions among them were a Church and called Saints we a●so notwithstanding corruptions and corrupt ones in our Parishes are a Church and to be called Saints But what do I instance in Corinth onely to prove a truth so clear In all the Churches through Pauls Epistles I may easily instance the like A Learned and Godly Divine handling this very point in a discourse brings in an unsetled Roman and carries him quite through Pauls Epistles He first brings him to the Romans What say they will you continue in our Church No saith he ye are a mixt multitude you have amongst you many that cause division and offences and such as serve their own bellies Rom. 16. vers 17.18 Well say the Corinthians will you joyn with us No saith he ye have contentious persons 1 Cor. 1. vers 11. Incestuous 1 Cor. 5. vers 1. denying the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. vers 12. The Galatians come in will you be of our Church No ye are gone to another Gospel Galat. 1. vers 6. ye are bewitched and obey not the truth Gal. 3. vers 1. The Ephesians say will you come to us No ye have liars stealers robbers amongst you Ephes. 4. vers 25.28 29. and Chap. 5. vers 3 4 6. ye have that teach other Doctrine and give heed to Fables 1 Tim. 1. vers 3.4 some that sin openly 1 Tim. 5. vers 20. The Philippians come next will you be of our number No ye have some preach Christ out of contention to add affliction to Pauls ha●ds Phil. 1. vers 16. you have many that are enemies to the Cros● of Christ and whose God is th●ir belly Phil. 3. vers 18.19 What say you to us Colossians No ye are subject to Ordinances Touch not Taste not handle not Colos. 2. vers 20.21 Why will you not joyn with us Thessalonians Ye have some brethren that walk disorderly 2 Thes. 3. vers 6. Will you come to C●eet then No The Cretians are alwayes liars evil beasts slow bellies and to be rebi●ed sharply Titus 1. vers 12 13. Yet we hope we H●brews may please you No ye are an ignorant people and had need to be taught the first p●inciples of religion Hebr. 5. vers 12. The poor man at a stand and weary of his journey asketh a friend what he should do You had best saith he go back again and joyn with the Romans as before So may Mr. Nichols and his separate Congregation when they have gone through many Churches to finde out one without corruptions and corrupt persons return to our Godly Ministers and Parishes again I confess I know not what disparity may be given nor what can truely be answered to this Argument to make it of no force unless Mr. Nichols will invent somewhat of his own phantasie and say again that God was unwilling and loath to cast off the Corinthians and all those Churches to whom Paul wrote but

slighted It is not my custom in this place to particularize any mans defects and errours neither would I have done it now had not my Text called upon me to surround the bounds of Zion and Babylon and to shew you what is the truth taught and professed in Zion and what is Babylonish and Antichristian and to answer those Propositions of Mr. Nichols affirming our Parochial Churches Babylonish and his own to be Zion and the house of God And as he hath gone about to brand us with an infamous Babylonish title thereby thinking to draw yet more of you to his separation I cannot in conscience discharge my duty to God and your Souls unless I vindicate our Churches and shew yet more Babylonish and Antichrist●●n practises and untruths in his Congregation whereby it may be Charact●rized unto you not to be the house of God nor the Pillar and Ground of Truth 2. Errour A second errour and untruth practized in Mr. Nichols his Congregation is in the administring the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at which Mr. Nichols allows a Lay-man or gifted brother to make a prayer at the setting apart those empty Elements for a Sacramental use to the Soul Which how contrary it is to the truth of the word and the example of Iesus Christ when first he instituted that Sacrament under the Elements of Bread and Wine I shall leave you to judge from what St. Luke relates of the last Supper in these words saying He took bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them Luke 22. vers 19. and from St. Paul saying when he had given thanks he brake it 1 Cor. 11. vers 24. from which places I gather that though Christ had present about him his Apostles Brethren though then weak more able and gifted than are any of Mr. Nichols his Congregation yet Christ suffered none of them at that time to pray or give thanks but himself did it Secondly that prayer and thanksgiving at that time belongs to him and ought to be performed by him who breaks the bread and by no other that hath the power of the Keyes by lawfull Ordination which Mr. Nichols his Farme●s and Millers have not And thirdly that without Mr. Nichols can clear his Ordination better than he hath done f●om the peoples Election of him the Administration of that Sacrament belongs to him but his abuse rather of so sacred a Mystery will one day lie with the heavy weight of Sacriledge upon his Soul 3. Errour A third errour and untruth practized by him is in the manner of his gatherin● his Church and building it up upon other mens foundations quite contrary to the practise and example of St. Paul who saith of himself So have I strived to preach the Gospel not where C●●ist was nam●d least I should build upon another mans foundation Rom. 15. vers 20. from whence I observe that St Paul strived not as Mr. Nichols strives Paul judged charitably of other mens preaching Mr. Nichols judgeth uncharitably of ours Paul judged others able to build up a Spiritual house to Christ Mr. Nichols judgeth us unable P●ul judged that Christ was named and called upon in other Churches as well as in his own Mr. Nichols judgeth our Churches Babylonish and our people congreg●ted not to name nor call upon Christ as if we called upon Angels Saints or some Heathenish Gods Paul though there were divisions among the Corinthians and some were for him some for Apollo and some for Ce●has widens not the wound of their division nor goes about to draw any from Apollo or any from Cephas Mr. Nichols makes our divisions his advantage to draw whom he can from our Churches Paul would not build upon another mans foundation Mr. Nichols builds upon ours and admits to his Congregation such as have acknowledged comfort to their Souls from the work of the publick Ministery as by experience I can speak of some who before Mr. Nichols resorted to or intruded himself into Deal acknowledged my Doctrine true sound wholesom and comfortable who since are become stones in Mr. Nichols his new building And thus it appears that his practise is not agreable to the true and peaceable practise of the Apostles especially of Paul 4. Errour A fourth errour practized by him is the unsetled place of his Church contrary to the Constitution of the first Primitive Churches which were known and named by the places as the Church at Ierusalem the Church at Antioch the Church at Ephesus the Church at Corinth and the like to which Paul directed his Epistles by the names of the place but were he to write to Mr. Nichols his Church he could not call it by any one place as the Church at Adisham where Mr. Nichols lives there being more of his Church many miles off in other places flying about on the Sabbath dayes or Trouping about on Hors-back on those dayes to hear him than there are present with him at Adisham But the Letters must be directed to Mr. Nichols his scattered Church at Adisham or elsewhere or to the flying and wandring or Trouping Church from one place to another which is most proper to it or to the church in Kent sometimes here and sometimes there all which is against the Constitution of the Primitive Churches setled in and named by some one certain and determinate place This practise is taken from the Church of Rome and therefore is Babylonish where in my time beyond the Seas I observed people for their pretended devotions much flying and wandring about either to places of Pilgrimage or upon the Sabbath dayes travelling five or six miles from their Parishes to such or such a Chappel to such or such a Cloister of Friars or Colledge of Jesuites under a pretence of gaining Indulgences by hearing Mass or Sermon in such a place and of such a Father And this hath been the Common practise of the Jesuites to draw the people there from the Parish Priests to perswade them that their Doctrine is soundest their lives purest whereas the Friars and the Parish Priests say they are of lewd and wicked Conversations and their Doctrine unprofitable and to this purpose they press to the people many Indulgences which they have obtained from the Pope for all such as shall hear their Doctrine and shall resort to their Churches and Chappels which now is more particularly practized by the Jesuites at Paris By whsch policy the Parish Churches there are very much deserted few people resort unto them and the Parish Priests are left to preach to the bare Walls and to some few old silly Women This policy if not under a pretence of Mass and Indulgences at least under a pretence of more pure Doctrine I have found to be much in Mr. Nichols whose people it seems have learned to run after him many miles upon the Sabbath dayes forsaking their Parish meetings as unprofitable to them and judging the day ill spent their Souls unedified except they hear him and no