is mention made in that Epistle of churches in the plurall number 1 Cor. 14. verse 34. Let the women saith the Apostle keepe silence in the Churches by which it followeth that in Gods dialect congregation and church are synonima's and not that onely but that there were many churches in this church of Corinth and that they were all but one church as being so many branches and depending all upon that stocke and therefore were all classically governed and subordinate to one Presbyterie The same may be concluded of the Church of Philippi where verse the 1. Paul and Timothy salutes all the Bishops and Deacons so that in the first entrance of that Epistle wee meet with a colledge of Bishops and Presbyters for they were all one and wee meete also with many Deacons all which proves to any understanding man that there were many congregations and churches for one Deacon would have served for one congrgeation or assembly and yet they all made but one church as being subordinate to one Presbyterie and governed by their joynt consent and common Counsell and that there were multitudes of Beleevers there it is evident from the variety of Teachers besides their good and godly Bishops for Paul saith there were dogs amongst them evill workers and those of the concision and he bids the Philippians to beware of those Chap. 3. verse 2. and there were many other of their Teachers which were worldly men that minded earthly things whom hee proclames enemies of the Crosse of Christ who made their belly their God as too many of the Independent Ministers now adayes doe chapter 4. verse 18 19. and gives them in command to shun their example and only to follow his and such as walked as hee did whose conversation was in Heaven and many such Teachers there were in the Church of Philippi and such as taught the Gospel out of good will and sincerely all which sufficiently prove there were many congregations of Beleevers in this Church and that it was yet but one Church and governed by a classis and colledge of Bishops and Presbyters And the same may be said of the church of Galatia where Paul complaines that there were many false teachers amongst them which hee wisht were rooted out and cut off or destroyed so that it followeth that in that church also there were many congregations and they were all governed by the joynt consent common counsel of a Presbyterie there for there were Presbyters ordained in every church and in every Citie And now I come to the seven churches of Asia and that by name my brother Burton speaks of viz. the church of Ephesus with which I will conclude and this was but one church in the singular number Revel the 2. of the which Paul called the Elders to him Acts the 20. verse 17. In the which church there were such infinites of Beleevers as they could not all possibly meet in any one place or a few yea Paul himselfe declareth as much in expresse words in the 20. chap. verse 20. where hee saith that hee taught them publickly and from house to house which in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by Master Knollys his learning signifies per singulas domos and therefore by him acknowledged to be many congregations as in the forgoing discourse is sufficâ—ently proved and all reason indeed will perswade it had it not in words beene specified For Ephesus was a famous citie and a place of great trafficke where Paul preached two whole yeares by whose hands God wrought no small Miracles so that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Iesus both Iews and Gentiles and through other wonders that were wrought in that city it is related that the word of God grew mightily and prevailed as it is at large ch 19. set down so that great multitudes of the very Schollers and such as studied curious Arts were also converted and burnt their Bookes the price of which amounted to fifty thousand peeces of silver in so much that feare came upon all the Greekes and Iewes that dwelt in Ephesus and the name of the Lord Iesus was magnified And can any man conceive or beleeve that all the Jewes and Greekes in Ephesus a mighty citie and a mart Towne could all meet in any one place together to communicate in all acts of worship yea were it not a madnesse to thinke so if the very diversitie of their languages and tongues of the people did not disswade it for if they would all be edified they must understand their Ministers preaching unto them which so many people of severall Languages and dialects could never do by any one for it was then a Miracle to have the gift of tongues which for the most part were conferred upon the Ministers and Publishers of the Gospel and upon such as were to be sent from place to place and from Citie to Citie to convert the Nations such as were the Apostles Evangelists and Prophets all extraordinary men and very seldome had the ordinary people the gifts of the Holy Ghost conferred upon them but it was chiefly upon some select and chosen ones not upon all promiscuously buâ— upon such as the Apostles laid their hands for if it had beene upon all then Simon Magus needed not have offered money to the Apostles for the purchasing of the gifts of the Holy Ghost if those graces had been promiscuously given but without all doubt it was but to some sortsof men for the most part that the gift of tongues was distributed such as the Apostles made speciall choyce of for so it appeares 1 Cor. 12. ver 10. 11. And therefore when the common people had not the understanding of all languages they if they would be edified must have such to preach to them as they could understand and therefore all the Jewes and Greeks in Ephesus must necessarily have divers places to meet in if the multitudes of them otherwise had not been so great but that they might have assembled themselves together and onely that they might be edified Besides the great multitudes that we read of at the first plantationof this church the Scripture saith Acts the 20. That for three whole years together Paul taught them night and day as an extraordinary Minister they had also Timothy sometime amongst them and other extraordinary teachers and a whole colledge of Bishops and Elders ver 28. who all had the care of the flock committed to them with a charge that they should feede that church which Christ had redeemed with his blood They had a commission likewise given them to oppose all false Teachers which they faithfully performed as the Lord beareth them witnesse Revel the 2. ver 2. saying I know thy workes and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not beare them which are evill and thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars By which we learne that the Government of
of all things See what Saint James saith in his fifth chapter to all churches and christians in the world Is any man sicke saith hee let him send for the Presbyters of the churches and let them pray over him c. and the prayer of faith shall save the sicke and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him The Apostle Iames here sends all christians to the Presbyters of every church who had the power of the Keyes delegated unto them for spirituall comfort and whose office onely it was to pronounce pardon and remission of sinnes unto the sicke upon their true Repentance if they had offended and sinned against God in the time of their health and so scandalized the Gospel and the Church and it was the Presbyters place and office to admit them againe into the fellowship and communion of the Saints upon their coâ—diall and untained repentance and that without asking the church any leave for as the Presbyters onely had the power of casting out offenders out of the Church so they onely had the authority of receiving them in againe upon their repentance and not the Church so if wee looke into all those Epistles that were written unto the seven Churches of Asia in the 2. and 3. of the Revelations we shall find them all directed to the Angels of the seven Churches which is as much as to say to the presidents of every severall Presbytrie established and constituted in every one of those Churches which is a sufficient Argument to me to prove a Counsell or Colledge of godly Ministers in every one of those cities according to that of Paul to Titus chap. 1. verse 5. for this cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest ordaine Presbyters in every Citie not one but many And in the 14. of the Acts verse 23. and when they had ordained them Presbyters in every Church c. many Presbyters a Colledge of them was appointed to every Church and so in the 20. of the Acts there were many Presbyters who had the charge and government of that Church committed unto them in common ver 28. there was a Colledge of them constituted in that church and therefore for order sake which the light of nature teacheth they must have a President who by the way of excellencie and to distinguish him from the other is called an Angel as the inscription of the Epistle Rev. 12. 1. declares saying Vnto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus As in our dialect when we speake of the great counsell of the Kingdome or of the reverend assembly of Divines if there be occasion of distinguishing the Presidents of those councels from the other Judges in those assemblies wee say Master Speaker in the house of Lords or Commons or of the President of the Ministers we say Master Prolocutor and if any have occasion to write to either houses or to the Assembly they direct their letters to the Speakers or to the Prolocutor who communicates them to each Assemblies as being the Presidents of each Society and yet none of all these Presidents by that their place of honour and eminency have any more power or authority then the rest but onely in the casting voyce when the parties upon any occasion are for number equall and for appoynting of the times and places of meeting and for the methodicall and orderly carriage of the busines yea it is ever observed wheresoever there is a President there is a colledge or councell or a court nature dictates this and the custome of all nations proves it and withall by the same light of reason that counsell or colledge to whom God himselfe writes and directs his letters for redressing of abuses has the power in their hands for the rectifying of things amisse and that it peculiarly belongeth unto them as to the Magistrates invested with authority to order things according to direction and to punish and cast out offenders and that by their own power without the consent and approbation of the people as it is now in the great Councell and Parliament of the Kingdome who make not the people acquainted with what they have to do but so far as it pleaseth themselves and not out of any duty And so it was in the government of Gods Church by the first constitution every Church consisting of many congregations were governed by a colledge of Presbyters as that of Ierusalem and this of Ephesus and the other six Churches in all the which the Presbyters by their sole authority governed them according to Gods Word without taking the people into councell with them who were no where joyned in commission with them and therefore it is most apparent by those examples I have now produced and many more that might be added and from the commission that Christ gave to the Apostles and in them to all Ministers that the people had not their voices either for the admitting of any to be Members in any church or in the casting out of any for their delinquency much lesse have they authority to require a publike confession of their faith to be made unto the congregation or to exact of them to bring in the evidences of their true conversion or to require that they should walk with them some time before admission or to enter into a solemn private Covenant before they be admitted as Members for we have no president for any of these things in Gods Word much lesse any command only in Acts the sixt there is mention made that the Apostles for the freeing of themselves from all unnecessary incombrances and that they might the better attend upon their Ministery and preaching gave the people liberty to make choice of their own Deacons but still keeping the power of ordaining them in their own hand which always was arbitrary in them whether they would exercise it or no neither would the Apostles have ordained them unlesse those that were to be ordained had been men so qualified as they had appointed for otherwise it lay in their choyce whether they would ordain them or no. But that ever the congregation or people had the power of admitting of members or of ordaining of Officers it is no where extant in Gods Word But that the women should have a voice in the Church either for receiving in or casting out of members or officers or should have any thing to do with Peters Keys it is against the law of God and nature For Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinths 14. makes it one of the marks of confusion in any Church where women have their voices saying God is not the Author of confusion but of peace as in all the churches of the Saints and in the next verse following in expresse words saith Let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law and if they will learn any thing
let them ask their husbands at home for it is a shame for women to speak in the Church And what Saint Paul writ to this Church of Corinth he writ to all Churches and proclames that what he writ to them were the commandments of the Lord ver 37. so that God had commanded that the women should not speak in the Church and saith that it is a shame they should and yet in these our dayes in many of the new congregations they have their voices in choosing of officers and admitting of Members and have all of them Peters Keys at their Girdle and make learned parts of speech in the congregation and dispute questions and debate of matters and give their reasons con pro as it is credibly reported and others of them set â—orth and print learned Treatises in polemicall Divinity with great applause and admiration of the Independent Ministers who cite their authority and quote them in their writings as classicall authors to the shame of the Nation and ludibry of Religion and howsoever there is not any that shall more honour the truly vertuous and pious of that sex than my selfe yet I must confesse when I see how far they become transgressors of the law of God and do those things that the holy Apostle hath not onely forbidden but proclamed a shame I cannot but exceedingly blame them and those Ministers that allow of and approve of such rebellion against God and nature And as if it had been the speciall care in the Apostle to prevent this evill of womens intermedling in matters of the Church he foreseeing the confusion that would be brought in upon it In his first Epistle to Timothy and in him to all Ministers to whom the Government of the Church was committed he gives him direction how to behave himselfe in the house of God which is the Church of the living God in chap. 2. verse 11. 12. hee saith Let the women learne in silence with all subjection for I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurpe authority over the man but to be in silence for Adam was first made then Eve and Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression c. Here the Apostle againe and againe twice in these few words enjoyns them silence in the church and imposes upon them subjection and obedience I suffer not saith he a woman to teach or to usurpe authority over the man but to be in silene and he giveth his reasons of this his command because saith he Adam was first made not by the woman nor of the woman but the contrary and therefore shee may usurpe no authority over the masculine sex especially in Gods matters and she is to be the disciple of the man and not the man her scholar and therefore that superiority that the God of order had established upon the man in the first creation hee doth now re-establish upon him againe in his holy Word after all things through sinne had beene disordered and confused and commands the woman to be both subject and silent especially in the Church Another reason of this his command is because the woman was first in the transgression and was the cause of Adams fall as hee accuses her and her disputing and voycing of it then brought confusion upon all man-kind and for this her so doing S. Paul concludes for ever hereafter that she ought to hold her peace be in subjection to her husband and ought to learne in silence at home but more especially in the Church for if they come to voice it once againe in the Church as Eve brought confusion upon man-kind by her disputation and reason so these with their loquacity and babble and confusion of voyces will bring in a new Babel into the Church and State as they have prettily well already begun to doe Saint Paul saith I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurpe authority over the man but to be in silence Here the Apostle as in the place above cited out of 1 Cor. chap. 14. commands them silence and permits them not to speake and expressely forbids them to usurpe authority over the man that is the viril sex Now I appeale unto any understanding creature whether or no to make large parts of speech in the Church as many of them upon occasions doe and dispute and give their reasons con pro be not to speak in the Church and whether to have their voices in either admitting of Members or Officers or in the casting of them out be not to usurpe authority over the man for all the world knows that they that have the power in their hands of either admitting of any into the fellowship or communion of the Church or of hindring their coming in or have their voices for the casting of them out when they are received exercise and usurpe authority over those they so deal with and there-fore they do against the expresse prohibition of the Apostles and all those women that have usurped this authority and all those Ministers that have permitted them so to do or taught this doctrine unto them are all guilty of great contumacy against God and ought seriously to repent for this their temerity and rebellion and it will be the imortall honour of those women that have not intermedled and if there be not some speedy course taken by authority to forbid such disorder we may promise nothing to the Church and whole Kingdome but confusion It hath ever been observed that Hermaphrodite councels in any Kingdome or Country when women that are subjects intermeddle in government and matters of state that that Kingdome and Country is very crased and not far from ruine and destruction and we need not look into many ages or countries for presidents of this kind and if Hermaphrodite counsels in Kingdoms have ever been so fatall unto them what may any man think in time will become of this Church and Kingdome when the women have gotten Peters Keys at their girdle and have their voices in many congregations and a power of ordering and disposing of things in Church affairs Certainly nothing but confusion can be expected for this their doing is against the expresse command of God who is the God of order and injoyns the contrary Yea it is not onely against the law of God but against the very law of nature and the practice of all Nations for never was it yet heard of in any well governed City or Commonwealth or Kingdome that women that were subjects had their voices in choosing officers or Burgesses or making of freemen or disfranchising of them or were permitted so much as to sit in counsell with them much lesse to rule and give laws to others out of their own houses And therefore as it is a thing odious to God and man and that which is a shame to that sex it ought to be cast out of all wel-governed Churches and States and as the women ought to know their
and the Doctor might as well have affirmed that the Brethren even the whole Church might say it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Thus Master Knollys disputeth not onely against all sound Divinity but against all reason whiles hee would make all the people to have equall suffrage and voices or votes with the Elders in that Councell and therefore Master Knollys shall never be my Master who had hee known any thing concerning governments either in Church or State or had hee ever read any thing concerning Councels in either hee would never have so argued For Councels in all governments consist of peculiar and select men who for their Gravity Wisedome Learning and their inveterate experience are made choyce of and set apart for that purpose and to whom the rule and government of the Kingdomes and Countries wherein they live is committed so that the ordinary people are not to intrude or intermeddle in those affaires whose place it is only to obey and to yeeld subjection to their Ordinances and they that would goe about or indeavour to change this order appointed by God himselfe would speedily bring confusion upon themselves and others and as it is and ever has beene in the matters and affaires of the State and in the Kingdomes of this world so it is in the Kingdome of Jesus Christ which is his Church all things are to be managed with order and decency and by such men only as upon whose shoulders God hath laid that government and into whose hands he hath committed the Keyes those ensignes of authority now when Christ the King of his Church hath given the Keyes to his Apostles and to the Presbyters only and to be continued in their hands to the end of the world they only are to manage the affaires government of the Church to the consummation of all things whose calling and place it is to rule and govern them as who have the care of the churches who are the prime men in authority in them for the ruling and governing of them and the people are onely to obey them and their Ordinances in the Lord and are not to intermeddle in the government of the Church or have their voices or votes in matters of government as hath beene often proved And therefore Master Knollys in saying That the Brethren even the whole Church the multitude how many soever the Doctor can make of them were present as well as the Presbyters and had their voices there is altogether mistaken in his commentary exposition for he by Brethren understanding that the whole Church the whole multitude of Believert men women and children then in Jerusalem for so his words doe import were present in that Councell speakes hee knows not what for it is most certaine by the holy Scripture that the tenth part of the Believers that were in Ierusalem could not have met together in any one place and therefore all the many ten thousands that were there could not possibly have come together in one Synod or Councell and besides the impossibility of it all men know that the Members of Synods and such as have their voices there are Presbyters and Ministers of the Gospel only and such as are sent Commissioners and delegated out of the severall Presbyteries to those Councels for the right ordering and well managing of the government in them and this is their calling and for the other people as the secular Magistrates Masters of Families Wives Children and Servants they are every one of them to continue in that calling and statiou God had placed them in 1 Cor. 7. and all under authority are therein to abide and every one of them to follow their particular negotiations and affaires yeelding obedience in their severall places to those that are over them and women especially by a statute Law from heaven 1 Cor. 14. are injoyned silence in all the Churches and are commanded if they have any doubts to aske their Husbands at home and to be subject and obedient unto them they are not to vote it in Synods neither were women ever that I have read or heard of before such Teachers as Master Knollys and his Fraternity appeared in the world permitted to have their voices in the Churches and Synods which when it is an apparent transgression of the Law of God I am confident that the Apostles and Presbyters then assembled in the Councell of Ierusalem would not have suffered any women to have brake the Lawes of God before their faces and therefore I may with good authority out of Gods Word conclude that there was not a woman in that Synod for the Scripture saith the Synod consisted of brethren and not sisters who had never the Keyes committed to them or any voice there as Mr Knollys vainly asserâ—eth and therefore for women they were not there so that there was not the whole multitude how many soever the Doctor can make them when the sisters are exempted there being none but brethren Besides it was against another statute law from heaven made by the Apostle Paul in the 14. of the Romans ver 1. that weak brethren should be admitted to doubtfull disputations who saith For those that are weak in the Faith receive but not unto doubtfull disputations or ambiguity of disputes for they being not well setled and grounded in Religion would have either been more imbittered against one another or filled more full of scruples then resolved as dayly experience teacheth all men who see what a confusion such paultry fellows as Master Knollys is have already brought inâ—o the world by admitting their weak brethren to their doubtfull disputations and vain janglings uâ—on all occasions Neither will I ever beleeve for my part that the Apostles â—ould be transgressors of their own Laws and teach one thing and practice the contrary now when Saint Paul had made that law that the weak brethren should not be admitted to doubtfull disputations shall we think that the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem would have admitted the whole multitude of all the beleevers amongst the which there were so many weak brethren into the Synoâ— to those disputes and so have violated this law and statute from heaven especially can any rationall man believe this when they were not at that time so well acquainted with their Christian liberty For this would have tended to nothing but a confusion of all things would have put the people in an uâ—rore as is evident from very good reason for if many years after the preaching of the Gospell and the free grace of God and the teaching of them their Christian liberty they remained still so zealous for the observation of the ceremoniall law of Moses as we may read in the 21. chapter of the Acts that they out of a distempered zeal would have destroyed Paul and onely because they heard that hâ— taught the Gentiles not to observe the law of Moses how would all those weak brethren have been inraged against all the Apostles
him may also truly be said of Cretensis and all those of that fraternity whose words are swords and spears who all fight rather with their heels then with their heads and kick rather then argue and whip rather then answer Whether therfore such men as my brother Burton and his complices though they come to us in gray heads be found in the way of righteousnesse when their dealings are so palpably unjust and their opinions so schismaticall hereticall and erroneous I leave it to the judgement of all such as know what the way of righteousnesse is And now I come to my second quaerie viz. Whether the way of Independency be the way of righteousnesse My brother Burton writing in the name of all the Independents pretends unto the people and would make the world beleeve that they are all Dependent upon Gods Word for all their proceedings and affirmes moreover in the fifth page that all their new gathered Churches and severall Congregations are all Dependent one upon another both which assertions of his are most false as will evidently appear to all those that know their practices and will vouchsafe but to read the insuing discourse where they shall find that they have neither precept nor president for their way of Independency in all Gods holy Word and that there is not so much as one example in all the sacred Scriptures for any of their new practices wherein they differ from us and which is more that they all of them withhold the truth from the people in unrighteousnesse How then can the way of Independency bee the way of righteousnesse when it is a deviation from that way as by their practices will be evidenced therefore for the confirmation of what I have now said I will briefly examine some of their proceedings and first whereas my brother Burton affirmeth that all their Churches are Dependent one upon another This I say is most false For all their proceedings in their severall congregations are carryed on in an arbitrary way whatsoever they publish in their writings and pretend to the people as all the learned and those that are acquainted with their method well know So that it lies in any one of their Churches breasts and is at their pleasure whether they will so much as confer or consult with each other and if they do at any time vouchsafe one another that courtesie yet it is stil voluntary whether they will give each other an account of either their censures or proceedings for they all pretend as absolute a soveraignty and jurisdiction within themselvs severally as any free-states or common-wealths have no authority one over another neither can they appeal for any reliefe if wronged one to or from another And if any Member in any one of those Churches or any one of those Churches divided amongst themselvs or upon some eminent received wrong should fondly complain to another neighbour Church that Church hath no power to relieve them no more then one private man can relieve another if he should be appealed to by another And if that Church should desire an account of the other Churches proceedings that Church may refuse it if it please them But if to gratifie their desire that Church should vouchsafe to condescend so far unto the other Church as to give them a reason of their proceedings all this is but gratis and out of their good nature they have still no power to call that Church in question that hath done the wrong if that Church stands upon its points and priviledges and saith that they have nothing to do with them And what then is to be done in this case Then forsooth they will withdraw communion from that Church which say they is the highest censure any one Church can proceed to against another Church Is not this I pray fine Dependency What more unrighteous dealing can be found in the world then this of the Independents to professe themselves Independents and yet to pretend a Dependency And when that comes to the tryall they have no more reall Dependency one upon another then we have with them Yea what a great unrighteousnesse is this to pretend a Dependency one upon another and a communion amongst their new gathered Churches when it is well known there is no more union and communion nor true friendship amongst them then was between Herod and Pilate they refusing the right hand of fellowship each to other in many of them Yea they are deadly enemies one to another as can sufficiently be proved although they all agree together to persecute the Presbyterians as Herod and Pilate did well accord to persecute Christ For I my selfe have heard the Independents protest against the Brownists Anabaptists Antinomians and Seekers and many other of the new fraternities proclaming them all Sectaries And on the other side I have heard those severall societies rail against all the Independents especially those Homothumadon dissenting brethren in the reverend Assembly saying that they had a better and a more charitable esteem of any of the Presbyterian Ministers then of them and they do unanimously accuse all the Ministers of New-England of as great tyranny as the Prelates And it is well known that many of the Independent congregations here amongst us have their different laws and customs every one of them dissenting more or lesse from each other in their severall new gathered Churches yea they are ignorant of each others practices For my Brother Burton and I. S. know not that the women in some of their congregations have their voices there and yet it can be proved that they also have Peters keyes at their girdles as well as any of their Presbyters And therefore their new Churches are not Dependent one upon another as my brother Burton asserteth Page the fifth when as they all of them exercise an absolute soveraignty amongst themselves Independent What unrighteousnesse then is this in my brother Burton and in all the Independents to affirme that in all their Churches there is a Dependent Independency or an Independent Dependency which is but a contradictory bull at best at the baiting whereof a man if he regarded not mispending his time might make far better sport then he did some years since in baiting the Popes Bull. The truth is as their Religion is but a meer Babell so all their language is confounded and they are divided in their opinions principles and practices they being all really Independent And therefore whether the way of Independency be the way of righteousnesse where they are so unrighteous in all their proceedings and when they say one thing and do and practice another and when they withhold the truth from the people in unrighteousnesse as all the Independent Predicants do I refer it to the wisdome and judgement of the godly and consciencious Reader But the unrighteousnesse of their way will yet more perspicuously appear if we but look into some other of their practices which I shall by and by instance the very
Church at one time without all controversie it was impossible that they could all then meet together in any one place and for farther confirmation of this truth and for the putting of this controversie for ever out of doubt the Holy Ghost saith in the fifth chapter verse 14. And Beleevers were more added unto the Church multitudes both of men and women Marke I pray the expression multitudes Now by multitude all men know is to be understood and that in all Languages a very great Assembly or congregation or company whereupon the Scripture saith follow not a multitude to doe evill so that by multitude is ever understood some vast Assembly or Congregation of people and here the Scripture saith speaking in the plurall number that multitudes and that both of men and women were added to the Lord that is to say many great Congregations and Assemblies were added to the Church yea the expression doth as it were intimate that they came in so fast that they could not now any longer be counted as it were by retayle or enumerate companies as when they came in by small numbers as three thousand and five thousand at a time which might easily be told and reckoned but that now they came into the Church in such great bodies as they were forced to set them downe by whole sale and therefore the Holy Ghost saith that Beleevers were added unto the Lord multitudes both of men and women that is to say many great Congregations of Beleevers of both sexes yea and that there might yet be no mistake in this busines the Scripture saith in the last verse of this chapter for the great multitudes of them that the Apostles daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ So that here by the testimony of the Holy Ghost wee are ascertained there were divers and severall Congregations of Beleevers at that time in the Church of Ierusalem for they had their meetings not onely in the Temple but in every house or from house to house which is all one that is to say they had many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers at that time in severall private houses as well as in the Temple so that this truth being confirmed unto us not onely by reason but by the mouth of so many infallible witnesses as that out of the second chapter where it is said they brake bread daily from house to house and two more witnesses also in this fifth chapter where it is recorded verse 14. that multitudes both of men and women that is to say many great Congregations of Beleevers of both sexes were added to the Lord and in the last verse that there might be yet no scruple made of the busines the places of their meetings are also expressed viz. in the Temple and in every house so that all good Christians are bound to beleeve that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers at that time in the Church of Jerusalem and therefore more then could all possibly meet in any one place or congregation So that if I should say no more the truth concerning this point is so evidently apparent to all judicious and understanding men that they cannot doubt of it except they will deny the Scripture it selfe yet that the truth concerning this controversie may yet more fully be cleared I shall for the farther coroborrating of it and for confirmation of the same produce a few testimonies more In the sixth chapter verse 7. The word of the Lord increased saith the Holy Ghost and the number of Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith Here wee find multiplication upon multiplication of Beleevers and more additions of them and that in Ierusalem and amongst these multitudes there was a great company of Priests that is a great company of their Ministers and learned Rabbies were converted and all these severall admissions of Beleevers into this Church of Jerusalem were without any of the conditions those of the congregationall way require now of their new Members for it is not said that they demanded of them that they should walke some time with them before their admission or that they should make any publicke confession of their faith or bring in the evidences of their conversion or enter into any particular explicite Covenant or come in by the consent of the people before their admission nothing of all these things were required at their hands in this Mother-church and therefore all the practise of this kind of admission in our new Congregations is without any president or example and therefore those of the congregationall way doe most wickedly to pretend they have the Church of Jerusalem for an example for their practise of admitting of Members But I say the thing chiefly to be observed here is the multiplication and the increase of many more Disciples to the former adding withall that amongst those Disciples and Converts that were added to the Lord there was a great company of the Priests now what an increase of Beleevers may any man suppose there must then needs follow when so many of their Ministers were converted without doubt when the people saw their Priests turne Christians and heard them also in their preachings give in their reasons for their imbracing of the Gospel and saw withall the daily miracles of the Apostles for the confirmation of this their doctrine they did infinitly multiply so that if there had beene no conversion of men before spak of yet the conversion of these very Priests in a short time would have procured the conversion of many more then could have met in any one place or a few and this all reason will perswade for wee find it by hourly experience how many hundreds are daily mislead and seduced by the error of a few temporising unstable Presbyters who are turned Independents and what a deale of mischiefe they have done here amongst us so that not a few places can containe their Proselytes and all this without the helpe of any miracles and we see daily if but any rich and crased Gentlewoman or any confounded Lady turne Independent or if but any unstable man of any eminency revolt from the Presbyterian way what a noyse there is by and by made at it and how many giddy headed men and women especially are seduced by it and that without any prodigies Now I say all reason will perswade any intelligible man that truth should much more prevaile then error and that in the hands of so great a multitude and of such learned Rabbies and those also in so great honour and esteeme amongst the people having withall the helpe of Miracles amongst them and that to the speedy conversion of many thousands yea the Scripture saith that the Word of God increased that is to say converted many and that the number of Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly not in a small manner and that a great company of the
in the Church of Jerusalem and yet all these as the Holy Scripture asserteth in many places made all but one Church and the Independents themselves acknowledge there was but one Church in Jerusalem Now how in any ordinary mans understanding can many congregations be one politicall ministeriall Church except only because they are united and associated under one Presbyteriall government that is to say under the government of a whole colledg of Presbyters which the Church of Ierusalem was for there was many Presbyters there as this 21. ch testifieth and the 15. chap. and many other places of holy writ all which had the government over that Church committed to them in common So that it may be a wonder to all rationall men that there should any appear in the world notwithstanding the abundant evidence out of the holy Word of God that should yet assert there were no more beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem then could all meet in one Congregation which assertion of theirs besides the Scripture very common reason overthrows for if we consider Jerusalem it is said to be the city of the great King in which there were never lesse then seven or eight hundred thousand inhabitants who dayly expected the Messiah who it is well known when he came had twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples at his command to go and come at pleasure whose powerfull preaching was such that it is related that Satan was seen fall down like iightning from heaven that is to say whose Kingdome was overthrown by their ministery and by all whose efficacious preaching and miracles we have this testimony that at one of their Miracles and Sermons there were three thousand converted at one time besides dayly additions added unto that Church by the Lord and five thousand men besides women at another and multitudes of beleevers both of men and women at another and that there was dayly increase of beleevers upon increase with a multitude of Priests besides a whole colledge of Presbyters settled Ministers amongst them and that all these should yet prevail to convert no more in future time then could all meet in one Congregation it seems a thing very incredible and truly for any to persevere in this error against all reason and against the evident testimonies of holy Scripture where we have it recorded there were many ten thousands of very weak beleevers in that one Church besides the strong it is an open and wilfull fighting against God and a resisting of his spirit which is a fearfull sin for all these are convincing arguments to prove the numberlesse multitudes and congregations of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem And all thâ—s brigade of arguments militate against the whole Army of the Homothumadon Sectaries and shall I hope for ever serve to vanquish them all and to make good this field of truth That there were many Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and yet they were not every one a Church or Churches severally considered by themselves exercising an absolute soveraignty Independent within themselves respectively as all our new gathered Churches do now here in London but all those congregations in Jerusalem were all subordinate and being combined together made all of them but one Church and were all under a common Counsell or Colledg of Presbyters within that Precinct the example of which Mother-Church is left upon record to all posterity for imitation and therefore that tenent of the Homothumadon Independents concerning the congregationall way hath no ground for it in the whole Word of God but is a meer whimsy of their own brain and hath its foundation only in the aire and will soon vanish or be speedily blown away by the blast and breath of truth Now my other companies drawn out of the Apostles quarters after Christs death and ascension they militate against all the Burtonian Independents who acknowledge that there were many Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem but deny they were Churches properly so called now though by their grant they have lost the day as in the following skirmishes will appear yet that all men may see that this sconse of error to which they have betaken themselves cannot defend their cause I shall with one company at this time beat them out of that hold and fully vanquish them in the pitcht field It is recorded Act. 2. v. 42. of all those new converts which were in many assemblies in many houses that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers This very troop alone serves for the beating of them all out of what bulwark soever they can betake themselves to for shelter for if all these congregations and Assemblies of believers were equall in all priviledges and immunities with any Churches that ever were on earth and had in them severally whatsoever did make the whole Church of Ierusalem the first formed Church then they were all and every one of them Churches properly so called But the antecedent is true Ergo the consequent so that to any rationall man this question is also out of controversie for let any man but duly examine what it was in the whole church of Jerusalem that made it the first formed church and a church properly so called and he shall find the same in every one of those particular congregations and assemblies for the making of them churches properly so called so that thâ—y each of them severally may as truly challenge the name of Church as the whole Church can they communicating in whatsoever is essentiall for the making of any church a compleat church or a church properly so called if partaking in all Ordinances by lawfull Ministers can make any assembly or congregation a church properly so called So that by this one company and by this very argument all the whibling reserves of all the Burtonian Independents are dissipated and scattered and that place of truth maintained against them all viz. that every one of those Assemblies in Jerusalem were churches properly so called and yet all of them made up but one intire Church and they were not every of them severally considered by themselves and apart Independent and exercising an absolute soveraignty within themselves And therefore this truth shall for ever stand good against all sorts of Independents That many congregations combined together and subordinate to some one colledg of Presbyters make all of them within their precincts but one entire Church and that this is Gods Ordinance and not that tenent of the congregationall way which hath neither precept or president for it in all Gods holy Word So that by all these encounters and frequent skirmishes and by the mighty power and assistance of the great Lord of Hostes the Generall of all the Armies of heaven and earth I have vanquished all the forces both of the Homothumadon Independents and all the Burtonian Sectaries and maintained and kept not onely the field of truth but these
I am most confident will by and by evidently appeare though all the former Arguments to the contrary should not so much as be thought of and withall it will also be obvious to any judicious man that in all respects their Argument makes much against themselves For if I should grant unto them That at this instant of time that that place speakes of the whole Church in Jerusalem or the number then of Beleevers were no more but that one place might have contained them all for the enjoying of all Ordinances which I cannot doe for innumerable reasons and some of them above specified yet it doth not follow nor evince that after there were daily such additions of Believers and such multitudes of new Converts added unto the Church that then also one place or roome could containe them all and that they might still meet in one Congregation and all together partake in all acts of worship For there is a vast difference betweene one hundred and twenty names for there was no more in this assembly and in many ten thousands which all the World knowes could not bee contained in any one place of Jerusalem to communicate in all the Ordinances though that place had equalized the most magnificent Structure that ever the World yet saw especially they could not have all met there to edification for they could not have all heard and understood and wee know that in the Church all must be done to edification and this would rather have hindred the mutuall edification of the assembly and have brought a confusion rather then any profit or benefit unto them But the truth is the number of names here spoken of if wee will goe to the genuine interpretation of the place not to speake of the universall consent of all the learned Interpreters who gather that in this assembly the seventy Disciples the Lord Jesus sent out to preach through all Judes and all those other Ministers of the Gospel that had beene Christs and Saint Iohn the Baptists Disciples every one of the which was thought fit for learning and divine knowledge to succeed Iudas in his Apostleship and to be a Disciple all these or most of them or such like were those that are included in the number of names I say to omit this Interpretation of all the most Orthodoxe Divines and their universall agreement and harmony in their learned Commentaries about this portion of Scripture the very words themselves following shew they were select and eminent men and men of note and Disciples of longest standing and all of them or the most of them Ministers and Preachers themselves and were indeed the Presbyters of the Church to whom with the Apostles the power of ruling was committed and who within themselves and without the consent of the common multitude of Beleivers had power to oâ—daine their own Officers and that by their own authority as we may see Vers 21. 22. Wherefore saith S. Peter of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Iesus went in and out among us beginning from the baptisme of Iohn unto that same day he was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a witnesse with us of the resurrection And they appointed two c. and they prayed c. and they gave forth the Lots c. all businesses here were managed and carryed in an Aristocraticall and Presbyterian way and all was done by a joynt consent and the common councell of them all Here wee finde none of the multitude of the people though Beleevers here were no Women that gave forth their lots Neither doth the Apostle Peter say Men Mothers and Brethren or Men Women and Brethren or Men Brethren and Sisters but Men and Brethren For howsoever in the foregoing Verses it is said that these meaning the Apostles and Elders all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus and with his Brethren by which they fitted themselves for the Ministery after they should receive the Holy Ghost though I say they joyned with them in those duties of humiliation and prayer which any women may do in the society and company of godly Ministers yet when they went about other acts of Church government as choosing of an Apostle then the Apostles and Elders onely by themselves to whom the power of the Keyes was given ordered that businesse and left the Women to their private devotions and their severall imployments for in this action of giving forth their lots there is no mention of the Women And it is manifest from the Text it selfe that this choosing of Matthias was at another time and without all doubt upon a set day for this purpose for it is said Verse 15. And in those dayes Peter stood up in the middest of the Disciples and said Men and Brethren Here was onely Disciples Men and Brethren and no Sisters Till Pope Joans time and our dayes Peters Keyes never hung at any womans Girdle and we heare not in Scripture that they had any voyce in choosing of Church officers and admi ting of members into the Church or casting out of any till these unhappy times an usurpation not beseeming that Sex as afterwards in its due place I hope to make appear But this by the way Now to the matter in hand I say it is apparent to any that will not shut their eyes that all those or most of them that were in Peters company and at that time met together were capable of an Apostleship and such as were the most eminent of all Christs followers and such as were best instructed in Christian Religion as having been bred up in the doctrine of Saint Iohn the Baptist and under the Ministry of Christ himselfe the Prophet of his Church and therefore they were the Teachers of the Church and people who were their flock which they all fed in common And from thence it argueth That the multitude of Beleevers in Ierusalem was not onely a distinct company from them but that it was exceeding great and numerous that had so many Pastors and Teachers over them For if they had been but so small a company as is here mentioned and that the whole Church had consisted but of sixscore names then the Pastors exceed the number of the flocke which is not onely absurd to thinke but against the evident truth of the holy Scriptures which relate unto us multitudes upon multitudes that were dayly converted by the ministery of John the Baptist and of Christ and his Apostles and added unto the Church before this their meeting So that by this I have now said it is most clear and evident that all or most of these were the most eminent Ministers of the Gospell and the Presbytery of the Church But in this that our Brethren do acknowledge That this assembly here spake of were the church it makes as much against them and greatly for us for it is manifest from the Text
then the whole multitude of all those Believers could not all meete together in one place and in one congregation for edification to communicate in all Ordinances So that any judicious man without the help of any great Schoole-learning may perceive the invalidity and vanity of such argumentations And truly were it not that they are Brethren and that I desire in the spirit of meeknesse to deale with them I would have made it appear that it is so poore a way of disputing that it did not beseeme men of gravity much lesse of learning and that there were many wayes to evade the dint of such reasoning and to prove the nothingnesse of the Argument and that by the words of the Text the people there spake of to be in Solomons Porch are to be limited and confined within the number of those that were converted by the last miracle and some other new miracles of the Apostles which they were then working in Solomons Porch for there is the place where the Apostles and they were together and I doe acknowledge that as many as were then and at that time in Solomons Porch with the Apostles were of one accord But doth this with any rationall man conclude that every Believer in Ierusalem both Men and Women and all the Christians Disciples in Ierusalem were then together in Solomons Porch and in one Congregation I am confident that no wise man will thinke so for without all controversie there were then such multitudes of Believers in the Church of Ierusalem as neither many Porches nor many Temples could have contained their bodies much lesse could they have all met in any one congregation to edifie But I say I will not deale with Brethren so rigidly as I might and therefore wave many things that I might justly here utter But grant it were so that now in the beginning of the Christian church and if I may so speake in the infancy of it That all the Believers then in Ierusalem might all meet together in one place doth it follow that they might ever so doe in succeeding times when there was such infinite increase of Christians daily added to the church all reason wil contradict that assertion Within this seven yeares as all men know one place and congregation would have contained all the Independents but will one place now or ten containe them And there is no man as I conceive will deny but that the Apostles and those Primitive Ministers had another manner of converting faculty then our Brethen for the Apostles as it is well known did not build upon others foundations yea they took it as a disparagement unto them for so Saint Paul in the 15. of the Romans v. 20. affirmeth Now our Brethren they build upon others foundations and gather the sheep and them the good and the fat sheep with good fleeces on their backs yea the Velvit-sheep and the Plush-sheepe and the Sattin and Taffity-sheep out of other Sheepheards folds and while they seeme to gather Churches they scatter them and the poorsheep But I will proceed to the other Argument out of the sixth of the Acts where it is related That when the number of the Disciples was multiplyed here we may take notice of multiplication There arose a murmuring of the Greeks against the Hebrews because the widdows were neglected in the daily ministration And the Apostles called the multitude of the Disciples unto them and gave them liberty to choose their Deacons and it pleased the whole multitude saith the Scripture From thence our brethren conclude That all the beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem came here together to the Apostles and were then no more then could all meete in one congregation as if our brethren should thus argue As the wheel-barrow goes rumble rumble even so is Prelaticall Episcopacy better then the Presbyterian Government But to be serious Should I grant unto the Brethren That at this time all the beleevers that were in the Church of Ierusalem did then come together and were all in one place and might meet in one congregation doth it follow when there was a dayly increase of more beleevers and that of multitudes of them as this very chapter signifies that then also they might all meete together in one place or in one congregation in succeeding ages I suppose no man will think or believe so But I must confess that I cannot grant unto them that by the multitude of beleevers here spake of is to be understood every individuall Christian or the greatest part of them much lesse that all the whole body of them came together and that for warrantable reason to the contrary For the controversie and murmuring here spoken of was not among all the Disciples and beleevers in Ierusalem but onely between two Nations of them viz. between the Greeks and the Hebrews Now we are informed out of the second of the Acts verse 5. That there were dwelling in Ierusalem Iews devout men out of every Nation under heaven for so in expresse words it is said of the which the Greeks were but one Nation and the Hebrews another So that all the Christians and Beleevers of all the other Nations were of one minde and in good accord among themselves as the foregoing Chapters tell and were at peace one with another so that there was no murmuring amongst them nor no controversie contention or variance and they all continued quiet in their severall houses and lived in love and were none of that multitude here spoken of so that of necessity by the multitude in this place we are to understand the Greeks onely and the Hebrews for so in expresse words it is specified and this every rationall man can easily perceive Againe by multitude here is to be understood not a confused company going in a tumultuous way but a considerable number of rationall men of each differing and dissenting party and such as were called and sent for by the Apostles as it is commonly seen in those that go by way of complaint to petition to any councell they send a competent multitude of understanding and able men to grace their cause and to mannage the businesse and not every particular and individuall person men and women to negotiate it which could not be without mighty confusion which was not in this multitude and therefore by multitude and the whole multitude we are to understand that both those parties that came to negotiate this businesse were well satisfied with the Apostles Order and they obeyed it but from hence if any man would infer and conclude That every one of the beleeving Hebrews and every individuall beleeving Greek that was then in Ierusalem and that all the Greek Church and all the Hebrew Church both men and women not one person excepted were all in one place together before the Apostles the whole world would judg that this man thatshould thus argue were very much crased in his brain but much more would it argue a great imbecillity of wit
wrought upon the Impotent Man who was knowne to all the people to have bin a Cripple from his Mothers wombe and through the powerfull preaching of Peter who exhorted them to repent and to be converted that their sinnes might be blotted out when the time of refreshing should come from the presence of the Lord c. It is said that many which heard the word believed and the number of those new Believers is there specified to be about five thousand men which were also added unto the Church and joyned to all the former Beleevers so that wee have here eight thousand new Members added unto the Church in a very little time and this was a greater Miracle then the former So that the Prophesie in the 110. Psalme verse 3. was now fulfilled That in the day of Christs power his willing people from the wombe of the morning should be multiplied as the Dew upon the Earth And which is not tobe passed by without due notice It is supposed by the best Interpreters and the most orthodoxe Writers and there is good reason for it that these new Converts were Men not Women and Children And without doubt these new Believers endeavoured to convert their Wives Children Servants and Neighbours and there is good reason also why wee should be induced to beleeve that Truth with such wonders and miracles annexed to it should be as prevalent to convert Women Children Servants and Neighbours and whole Families as errours and novelties in these our dayes are able to misleade those poore creatures that are ever learning and never come to knowledge and the which are carried about with every wind of doctrine and beleeve every new-borne truth as they terme it and follow every New Light and every new-found way though it tend to the confusion of the Church and Kingdome It is said of that man of Sin that Sonne of Perdition that hee shall come after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse and unrighteousnesse in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thess 2. But to see people so deluded without Miracles is a Miracle So that those poore Women that are carried about with every wind of doctrine from that truth that was taught by Christ and his Apostles and confirmed by so many Miracles and those that doe and have mis-led them have all of them a great deale to answer for But this I speake by the way conceiving that all those new Converts would endeavour as the good Samaritan Woman did after her conversion not only to bring their Wives Children and Families but their Neighbours also and whole Cities to the same faith And I have that opinion also of all the Women and people of that Age that they were as ready to imbrace the truth as the Women and people of this Age and in these our times are to follow errors But let us now see what effects the other Miracles wrought upon the people that are related in the 5. C. as of Ananias Saphira his wife who for tempting the Spirit of God were both stricken downdead and gave up the Ghost and the other Miracles wrought by the Apostles It is said in Vers 11. That fear came upon all the Church and to as many as heard these things that to the rest viz. the Scribes and Pharisees the Maglinant party durst no man joyne himselfe And Believers were added unto the Lord multitudes both of men and women Here come in the good Women now And in Verse 26. it is said that the Captaine with the Officers brought the Apostles without violence for they feared the people least they should have stoned them It will not be amisse briefly to take notice of the severall effects these Miracles wrought Thefirst is That great fear of offending God came on all the Church Gods own people which notwithstanding of the many additions of Believers is called still but one Church The second That none durst joyne themselves to the contrary party the Pharisaicall malignant crew The third That Believers were added to the Church and that multitudes no small companies both of Men and Women Here is a new increase and that a great one The fourth is that the very Captain and Officers were awed and kept in feare by reason of the multitude of Believers so that those that feared not God were afraid of his servants By which it may be gathered That the party of Believers did ballance the number of the incredulous and Pharisacall party if not by far exceed them And therefore by all probability must needs be an innumerable company and a mighty multitude and such a number as could not all meet in any one place or congregation to partake in all the Ordinances And to say nothing of the diversity of Tongues and Languages which were not given to the Apostles to be uselesse and of no profit nor to speake any thing of the divers Jewes that were then dwelling at Jerusalem devout Men and Women out of every Nation under Heaven which notwithstanding may be a sufficient argument to prove That they all had their severall meeting places and their severall Ministers to preach unto them in their severall Languages that they might be edified I say for the present to wave all this let us take notice what is positively set down in the last Verse of the fifth Chapter that is That the Apostles daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ That is to say they preached both publickly and privately and the very places where they preached are set down as in the Temple and in every house So that of necessity there must be severall congregations and assemblies of Belivers in Ierusalem according to that in the 2. of the Acts vers the 46. where it said That they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of bread from house to house which by all Interpreters is understood the administration of the Lords Supper and that the severall assemblies and congregations were wont usually to meet in private houses is frequently mentiond in the holy Scriptures as in the 16. of the Romanes verse the 5. and in the 1. of the Corinthians chap. 16. vers 19. Col. 4. 14. and Saint Paul in the 20. of the Acts vers 20. saith That he kept back nothing that was profitable unto them but taught them publikely and from house to house so that they had their Assemblies as well private as publicke even in the Church of Ephesus where they did partake in all acts of worship and in that Church also they had many Presbyters and yet were but one Church But now I will passe on to the sixth chapter in the 1 2 3. and 7 verses it is said That in those dayes when the number of Disciples was multiplyed there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their
widdows were neglected in their dayly ministration Then the twelve called the multitude of the Disciples unto them and said It is not reason that wee should leave the Word of God and serve tables Wherefore brethren looke you out among you seven men of honest report and full of the holy Ghost and wisdome whom we may appoint over this businesse But we will give our selues contiunally to prayer and to the ministery of the Word vers 7. And the Word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient unto the faith In the which words we may take notice briefly of these observables The first of the cunning and policy of the Devill who when he cannot by all his wiles and stratagems assault the Church without then he labours to assaile it within as here with civill discords and differences among brethren and in other Churches in all ages even in and from the Apostles times by dissentions in opinions by Sects Schisms Factions and Heresies and by these his wiles and craft he first bringeth in difference in opinion and afterwards diversity of affection and that among brethren and all this he doth that in fine he may bring ruine upon them all And thus he began with the Church of Ierusalem raising a controversie between the Hebrews and the Greeks who complained That their widdows were neglected in the daily ministration as either that they were not made Deaconesses as the widdows of the Hebrews were or that there was not an equall distribution of the Almes according to the intention of the Church who sold their possessions and goods to that end that they might be parted to all men as every one should have need Acts 2. vers 44 45. chap. 4. v. 35. And this their supposition was the cause of that controversie The second observable is To whom the differing and dissenting parties did apply themselves and appeal and that was to the Presbytery or Colleage of Apostles not to any one of them particularly but to the twelve as in that difference at Antioch Acts 15. Paul and Barnabas and certain other of the Brethren in the Church of Antioch appealed to the Apostles and Presbyters and in both those differences all the Churches submitted themselves to the Apostles Order and that willingly and this example of the Apostles is the Rule for ordering of all controversies that all the reformed Churches set before them deciding all debates in Religion by the Word of God and according to the president they have laid downe unto them by the Apostles and Presbyters in Ierusalem Here I say the whole Presbytery and Colledge of the Apostles determined the businesse neither do we reade that the Assemblies of the Hebrews and Greeks at Ierusalem or the Church of Antioch pretended their own Independent authority though severall Congregations or challenged a power within themselves of choosing their own Officers or determining of differences amongst themselves or pleaded that they had Authority within themselves to make their own Laws by which they would be orderd or that they challenged any such priviledges unto themselves but they all appealed unto the Presbytery at Ierusalem as the supreamest Ecclesiasticall Court and freely submitted themselves to their arbitrement and to the Order they set down as the story specifieth The third observable is the imployment in which the Apostles were all taken up and the effect of it and their imployment is said to be continuing in prayer and the Ministery and preaching of the Word and the effect of this their Ministery was That the Word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith By all which it is most apparent that such multitudes being dayly added to the Church and where there was such variety of teachers and so many Apostles and all of them taken up in preaching and where there was so many different Nations and such diversities of tongues and languages as was in the Church of Ierusalem they could not all meet together at any one time or in any one place to edification and that they might all communicate in all the Ordinances but of necessity they must be distributed into severall Congregations and Assemblies if they would avoyde confusion and all that I now speak is evident by the very light of Nature and all reason and therefore it followeth That there were many Assemblyes and Congregations in Jerusalem and yet all made but one Church and that that Church was Presbyterianly governed But that I may make this truth more evidently yet appear I will first out the former discourse frame severall Arguments and then go on to the ensuing history And out of all these six chapters I thus argue Where there were eight thousand new converts besides women and children by vertue of some few miracles and Sermons after Christs Resurrection added to the Church of Ierusalem and the society of beleevers besides those that were convertedby John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles Ministery before his suffering and to the which also there were afterwards great multitudes of Beleevers both of men and women and a great company of the Priests joyned in so much that they kept the very Officers and Souldiers in awe and struâ—k a feare and terrour into them there they could not all meet together in any one place or Congregation to partake in all acts of Worship but of necessity must be distributed into divers Assemblies and Congregations But in the Church of Jerusalem there were eight thousand new converts besides women and children by virtue of some few miracles and Sermons after Christs Resurrection added to the Church and society of Beleevers besides those that were converted by John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles Ministry before his sufferings and to which also there were after wards great multitudes of Beleevers both of men and women and a great company of Priests also joyned insomuch as they kept the very Officers and Souldiers in awe and struck a fear and terrour into them Ergo They could not all meet together in any one place or Congregation to partake in all acts of worship but of necessity must be distributed into divers Assemblyes and Congregations if they would all be edified For the Major it is so evident that I cannot beleeve that any rationall man will deny it for who yet did ever see an Assembly of above ten thousand people in any one place or Congregation that could partake in all the Ordinances to edification Yea to affirme this is to fight against common reason and dayly experience For the Minor it is proved by the severall places above quoted and therefore the conclusion doth also of necessity follow This Argument is so well grounded upon the Scripture of truth and corroborated also with such solid reasons as it is a wonderfull thing that there should bee any man
now living in these dayes of light and knowledge that should be either so ignorant or erroneous as to gainsay it and yet learned Master Knollys in his moderate answer as he calleth it pag. 8. and 9. replyeth and answereth to it by denying the Minor of my Syllogisme for very slender reasons as his custome is after this manner I will give you his owne words which are these There is no mention saith he in any Scripture quoted by the Doctor of eight thousand new Converts besides women and children Neither doth that Scripture produced Acts 4. 4. prove any such thing For the Reader may consider that the number of them there mentioned are but five thousand and albeit the Dr. make them up eight thousand by saying those five thousand men were added to the Church and joyned to the former beleevers pag. 57. Yet there is a two-fold mistake in the Doctors addition to wit first that some of the three thousand may be were women how then can the Doctor say there were eight thousand new Converts besides women secondly these five thousand are only called men and not Converts not beleevers For howbeit many of them hearing the word beleeved yet it is not said the five thousand men beleeved and the truth iâ— the text well considered only holds forth that the number of men was wade up five thousand These are Master Knollys owne expressions and all that hee hath to say against this Argument with his confused reasons or rather triflings What man but of ordinary capacity that had but cursorily read over my Arguments would not have observed the truth so plaine and evidently laid downe in them and confirmed with such reasons as hee would not onely have beene well satisfied therewith but would have judged it either great blockishnesse in any and apparent ignorance to have yet doubted of it or great temerity and contentiousnesse of spirit to have gainsayed such evident demonstration of verity And yet Mr. Knollys out of the sublimity of his learning being a confident Disputant not onely confutes mee but repels the very Scripture it selfe and resists the Spirit of God which is usually with him and his Complices and all out of the spirit of error and contention to maintaine their severall factions So that it may be admired that such men are not abandoned and abhorred of all people truly fearing God especially when they see their whole study and indeavour is to delude and seduce poore silly creatures But I desire the Reader here deliberately to weigh and consider what the man saith hee denyeth that there is any mention in any Scripture quoted by mee of eight thousand new Converts besides women and children whereas in the second Chapter of the Acts which I cited there is mention made of three thousand added to the Church by the first Miracle and Sermon of the Disciples and this Master Knollys himselfe doth acknowledge pag. 8. of his Pamphlet His words are these To whom were added viz. to all those that were converted before by Johns and Christs Ministry about three thousand soules c. Here hee confesseth there were three thousand soules added to the Church neither is there any mention of women amongst them and in the fourth Chapter hee likewise acknowledgeth that the number mentioned there is five thousand His words are these For the Reader may consider that the number of them there mentioned are but five thousand Thus hee Now all the world knowes that three thousand and five thousand are eight thousand and the Scriptures quoted by mee made mention of these eight thousand what so ever M. Knollys saith to the contrary So that no man of understanding can doubt of the truth of what I asserted For that which is confirmed by the testimony of the holy Scripture were it single and by it selfe ought by all Christians to be beleeved but that which hath both the holy Scripture and learned Master Knollys his owne witnesse to confirme it that hee cannot with any good reason deny but that there was three thousand soules at the first Miracle and Sermon of the Apostles after Christs Ascension added to the Church and five thousand after both the Holy Scripture affirmeth and Master Knollys acknowledgeth it Ergo there were eight thousand new Converts added unto the Church at Ierusalem for these were distinct actions or effects of the Ministry of the Apostles and produced at severall times and upon severall occasions from the Miracles and preaching of the Apostles for otherwise they would not have been taken such notice of as such wonders and have beene so distinctly set downe with all the severall circumstances both of time place and persons neither would there have beene such running and going questioning and consulting about that busines by the Magistrates and Officers as there was if some new and strange thing had not happend and falne out for men doe not usually wonder at ordinary occurrences Now when the holy Scripture relateth this new miracle in the 4. of the Acts as an unexpected thing and suddenly hapning as a matter of great admiration astonishment yea of terrour to the enemies from the curing of the Criple from the preaching of Peter Iohn asserteth withal that many which heard the word beleeved the number of the men was about 5. thousand v. 4. It is apparently evident that as this was a new act distinct from the former so that the conversion of these five thousand was a new effect and distinct one from the former and is of purpose set down by the holy Ghost by it selfe severally to be taken notice of as a matter of more admiration than the conversion of three thousand by how much it was a greater work of the Spirit of God by another miracle and Sermon to convert five thousand then three thousand And without all controversie it was thus recorded with all its circumstances for this very end that it should for ever be taken notice of as a distinct miracle and work of wonder from the former For the holy Ghost is very accurate in the relation of it and very carefull that there should be no mistake in the whole businesse for in expresse words and termes it is said Notwithstanding all the opposition that was made by the Priests and by the Captain of the Temple and the souldiers to hinder the preaching of the Word and to smother this miracle yet many of them that heard the word saith the Scripture beleeved And that there might yet be no mistake or fallacy in the story and narration the very sum and accompt of those that were converted and beleeved by reason of this last miracle and Sermon is specified particularized and set down in these words and the number of the men viz. that beleeved saith the Scripture was about five thousand So that the Scripture it selfe sets down the number and calleth them men and not women and children And it is very safe alwayes to speak as the
word of God teacheth us So that to any intelligible Christian there can be no doubt or scruple any longer left about this point For that which God himselfe hath dictated by his holy spirit and recorded in his holy word we may not gainsay but God hath dictated by his holy spirit and recorded it in his holy word that the multitude that was converted and believed upon that new miracle and preaching of Peter Iohn was about five thousand men Ergo it is not to be gainsaid but to be beleeved and received as an everlasting truth by all Christians For as I said before this was a new effect or a new act and distinct and different from the former and therefore these five thousand are to be considered by themselves and apart Now five thousand and three thousand put and joyned together make up eight thousand which were all added to the Church to all the former that were converted by the Ministery of Iohn the Baptist Christ and his Disciples in Christs life time and therefore there is no mistake in my addition as Mr. Knollys fondly and childishly concludes and his reasons by which he would prove my mistake are as vaine and senselesse For saith he some of the three thousand may be were women and how can the Doctor say there were eight thousand new converts besides women Take notice I pray of the vanity of his expression Some of the three thousand saith he may be were women and it may be they were not and it standeth with as good reason they were not as any he can bring to prove they were although I did not set it down as my own opinion but said onely That it was the judgement of many learned men that all those eight thousand that were converted by those two miracles and Sermons were men and not women and children and therefore Mr Knollys here commits a double errour first in making that my opinion and ascribing that to me which I onely then related as the judgement of others and then left it in medio that is his first error his second is worse for whereas the Holy Scripture saith that there were three thousand soules added unto the Church by the first Miracle and Sermon and five thousand by the second in the fourth of the Acts Master Knollys peremptorily affirmeth they were but five thousand in all so gives the Spirit of God the lye who declares there were three thousand at one time five at another added to the Church But if there were but 5. thousand in all as M. Knollys asserteth then by his own acknowledgement they were all men and not women and so then I had committed no error neither can M. Knollys convince me of an error if I had said it as my own opinion that al those that were converted by those two Miracles had been all men and not women and children For for the five thousand the word of God saith they were all men and not women the words are these in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the number of men according to Master Knollys his owne interpretation was five thousand and if there were five thousand men then not women And wee find in the Holy Scripture that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is alwayes taken for men as we may see it Matth. 15. verse 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they that did eat were foure thousandmen besides women and children So that amongst these five thousand by the testimony of the holy Scripture and in the judgement of Master Knollys by his owne interpretation they were all men and no women now then if all the whole number of Beleevers that were converted by those two Miracles and Sermons mounted in all but to five thousand as Master Knollys affirmeth they did not and were all men as hee accordeth to what purpose then doth hee rayse a new and needlesse cavill against mee because I said that it was the opinion of many learned men that those that were converted by these two miracles and sermons were all men and not women and children For I did not as I said before relate it as my owne judgement neither did I say there were no women amongst those eight thousand but that it was the opinion of the learned that they were all men only and not women and children But were I of as contentious a spirit as Master Knollys and that it tended to edification I could bring better reasons to prove they were men only and not women then either he or any of his Fraternity can produce to the contrary But Mr. Knollys himself seemeth but faintly to assert that there were any of them Women and Children for he saith it may be some of the 3. thousand were women thus he trifles in his answer to my first Argument saying it may be there were no more Beleevers in Ierusalem at the Feast of Pentecost but the hundred and twenty names Now all the learned know that to say it may bee there were some women makes no reall conviction of a mistake it is but a naked and groundlesse supposition of a mistake especially when there may be many solid reasons produced to prove they were all men and no women and children And therefore such kind of triflings are not sufferable in any that pretend to fear God for vain janglings and needlesse contentions about words is that that is condemned by the Apostle in all Ministers in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus and it troubles me not a little that I have to do with such vaine kind of creatures whose cheese bable is about words But notwithstanding I see a providence in it for in this the man shewes but his ignorance and whiles he would perswade the Reader that he is very acute he shewes himselfe to be a very child in the art of disputation There is an old saying give some men rope enough and they will hang themselves Even so it is here with Master Knollys whiles he takes that liberty to himself to run out in his discourse he intangles himself on every side as by the sequell will appeare as here He sayd that there was no mention in any Scripture quoted by me of eight thousand and he denyed withall that the Scripture doth prove any such thing and asserted moreover that the whole number of all those converts amouted but to five thousand and he said that all these were men and not women and yet here he confutes himself I desire all therfore to take notice of the vanity of the man He had confidently concluded there were but five thousand in all and asserted that they were all men and notwithstanding as it were in the same breath he makes mention of three thousand more of another company amongst the which he sayth some of them might be women So that by his own concession here is two distinct numbers or companies one consisting of 5. thousand
and all men and no women and another consisting of three thousand more of which he makes a scruple saying that amongst them there might be some women So that if the five thousand were all men and there was yet another company of three thousand more besides amongst which there might be some women as Master Knollys saith then this three thousand was a distinct company from the former now three thousand amongst the which there might be some women and five thousand all men makes up full eight thousand so that Master Knollys by his whibling againe and againe Volens nolens confirmes my assertion that the full number of those converts by these two miracles Sermons was eight thousand and for ought any thing can be said to the contrary they were all men besides women and children and this is all he gaines by his fond caviling and contention to prove himselfe a very jangler and one like that wicked servant that condemns himself by his own mouth And this shall suffice to have spake for proofe of the number viz that there were eight thousand besides women and children And now I come to his second reason by which he labours to evince and prove they were not converts beleevers which I hope to make appeare to be not only groundlesse but to be most impious and wicked as giving the Spirit of God the lye and indeede destructive to their own tenents and principles His words are these These five thousand saith he are onely called men and not converts not believers for howbeit many of them hearing the word believed yet it is not said the five thousand men beleeved And the truth is the text well considered only holds forth that the number of men was made up five thousand Thus Master Knollys For my owne particular I stand astonished at the vanity senslesnes and wickednesse of the man for his words are not only against the light of reason and the judgement of all the learned and the very opinion of the Independents themselves who hold that they were all converts and beleeves but they are contradictory to the Spirit of God giving the holy Ghost the lye as I said before for the Scripture saith notwithstanding all the resistance and opposition made by the enemies of the Gospell to hinder the work of the Ministry and notwithstanding all the persecution that was raysed against them for this very end I say notwithstanding all their indeavour the holy Ghhst saith that many of them which heard the word believed and the number of men was five thousand Here are two truths evidently laid downe contrary to Master Knollys his errors The first is that they are not only called men but beleevers for saith the Scripture they that heard the word believed Secondly the number of those that believed is there in terminis set downe to be five thousand and the number of the men viz. that believed saith the text was five thousand So that from this testimony of Scripture and from all my arguments deduced from thence these two conclusions do follow evidently The first that Master Knollys is a very wicked man that thus at pleasure can give the Spirit of God the lye and oppose the truth it selfe upon all occasions The second that there were more believers in the Church of Ierusalem then could possibly all meete in any one place and congregation to partake in all acts of worship and that in its very infancy for here we read of eight thousand more cnoverts besids women and children for the Scripture maketh mention of no women nor children newly added to all those that were converted by Iohn the Baptist and by the ministry of Christ and his Disciples in Christs life time and all they were innumerable for all Jerusalem went out unto them and were baptised besides the many other thousands that the Scripture recordeth were daily added to these all which I say could not possibly meete in one congregation to edification And the truth of these conclusions I am most assured will appeare so cleare in the judgement of all the learned as they wil gather that Mr. Knollys his complices that thus sottishly oppose it ought severely to be punished for these their wicked practices who for the upholding of their own errors and for their base lucre and gain for worldly ends care not what they say or do to the disturbance of church State for the seducing of the poor people and hindring of the work of reformation so much to be desired But before I passe on to Master Knoylls his other Cavills I shall desire the reader a little to consider what I have yet in this place to say to him These five thousand saith he are called men and not converts not believers for howbeit many of them hearing the Word believed yet it is not said the five thousand men believed And the truth is the text well considered only holds forth that the number of men was made up 5. thousand From hence I gather if these words of his may be credited that it may be a very well formed Church after the new testament forme for this Church at Ierusalem was such an one by the confession of all the Independents although they be not all visible Saints but many of them unbeleevers Iewes and Infidels and be not true converts and that for the moulding up of a true Church after the new testament forme it is not absolutely necessary that they should be all visible Saints for here Master Knollys says they were mixt good and bad together it is not said saith he the five thousand men believed and yet they were all members so that by his doctrine some of them were unbelievers and notwithstanding they were all moulded up into a Church body so that they were not all visible Saints and yet the true Saints and believers made no separation from the other but they all continued together in Church fellowship both Saints and infidels and communicated in all Ordinances Now whether or no Master Knollys by this doctrine of his doth not fight against the opinion of all his brethren and utterly overthrow all the new fabricke of Independency I leave it not onely to the judgement of the learned of the congregationall way if there be any such but to the censure of the seven new churches of which he is one of the pastours and an other Saint Diotrephes who if they do not punish him for this his Grollery I will say they deserve censure and punishment themselves But this is not all I have here to say to Mr Knollys I have this also to adde that if any credit may be given to his words there will then be no certainty in any thing the Scripture relateth unto us For he saith That those five thousand that were added to the Church are called men and not Converts and Beleevers and howbeit many of them believed yet it is not said the five thousand believed So that if he may
be credited all that the holy Scripture hath related unto us concerning the conversion of these men is a meere fable for the Scripture saith they believed and he affirmeth the contrary and sayth they were only called men and not converts not believers Whether this fellow therefore ought not to be cast out of the seven Churches and out of all the Churches of the world for this his wickednesse and temerity I leave it to the judgement of all the learned either dependents or independents and so I will passe to his other good stuffe which in its due place you shall meete with But in the meane time out of all the above quoted places of Scripture I thus farther argue Where there was almost an hundred preachers and Ministers besides the twelve Apostles and all these continually taken up in prayer and preaching and could not leave their Ministry to serve tables and where there was such a company of believers and people as did imploy them all there of necessity they must be distributed into diveâ—se congregations and assemblies if they would all be edified and avoyd confusion and partake in all ordinances But in the Church of Jerusalem there was almost an hundred preachers and Ministers besides the twelve Apostles and all these were continually taken up in prayer and preaching and could not leave their ministry to serve tables and where there was such a company of believers and people as did employ them all there of necessity they must be distributed into diverse congregations and assemblies if they would all be edified and avoyd confusion and partake in all Ordinances For the major very reason and the common light of understanding without any reluctation will assent unto it And for the Minor it is manifest from Chapter the 1. ver 21. 22. and from chapter the sixt ver the 2 and 4. and chapter the 8. ver 1. So that the conclusion is undenyable But out of all the former places I thus farther argue Where there were people of al nations under the heavens and them in some multitudes and most of them believers and devout men and women which waited upon the Ordinances and had a desire daily to heare the Word there of necessity they must be distributed into divers and sundry congregations and assemblies and have such to preach unto them severally in their owne language or else they could not partake in all acts of worship to edification But in the Church of Jerusalem there were people of all Nations under the Heavens and them in some multitudes and most of them Believers and devout Men and Women that waited upon the Ordinances and had a desire dayly to heare the Word Ergo of necessity they must be distributed into divers congregations and assemblies and have such to preach unto them severally in their owne language or else they could not partake in all acts of worship to edification For the Major no reason can gainsay it for the Apostles and the other Ministers imployed all those gifts of the Holy Ghost and those divers languages which they had received for the edification of the Church to the utmost and did improve all opportunities for the converting of the people committed unto their charge and for the further building of them up in their holy faith which was their calling and imployment and this they could not have done unlesse they taught those Nations in their severall Languages and that they could not do without confusion unlesse they were distributed in severall assemblies where they might distinctly heare their own Languages For otherwise as Saint Paul saith in the 1 Cor. 14. 23. if men should speak to the people with unknown tongues if the unlearned saith he come in and unbelievers will they not say that they are all mad And therefore Tongues are given for a signe not to them that believe but to them that believe not Now they were devout Men in Ierusalem and Believers and therefore the Apostles and Ministers were to speake to them severally in their own languages and for that purpose God gave them those Tongues and that diversity of languages that those that were Believers might be more edified and that the unbelievers and unlearned such as belonged unto Gods election might be convinced and judged of all and that the secrets of their hearts might be manifested that so falling down upon their face they might worship God and report that God was in them of a truth as the Apostle there saith So that I say for the Major no reasonable creature will call it in question And for the Major it is manifest out of the Chap. 2. Vers 5. c. and in Chap. 6. Vers 1. and Vers 2. 4. And for the conclusion that from the Premises doth also ensue Againe I thus further argue out of the former Chapters That which the holy Scripture in expresse words and in diverse places hath declared unto us that every Christian is bound to believe but the Scripture in expresse words and in diverse places hath declared unto us that there were diverse assemblies and congregations of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem and that the Apostles and all the Believers in Jerusalem did continue daily with one accord in the Temple and that they brake bread from house to house and that daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ Ergo there was diverse congregations and severall assemblies of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem where they did daily partake in all the Ordinances and enjoyed all acts of worship For the Major no Christian can deny it For the Minor it is manifest from 46 Verse of the 2 Chapter and Chap. 5. vers 12. and vers 42. and Chap. 3. vers 12 13. and many more places that might be produced And in those places it is not onely said they preached in every house but that they brake bread from house to house by which expression all Writers interpret the holy Communion and partaking of the Lords Supper and if it should not so be understood we never can reade that any Christians in Ierusalem besides the Apostles ever enjoyed all acts of worship especially those that are peculiar to Church Communion It is related often that they preached the Word daily in the Temple which was common to Iewes and Christians though no Jewish worship as all men acknowledge And by evident Arguments it may be proved that they never administred the Sacraments in the Temple those discriminating and distinguishing Ordinances of the Christian Church as all the most Orthodox Interpreters gather from the ensuing words where it is said They continued daily with one accord in the Temple but when they speake of the Administration of the Lords Supper it is expressed in these words and breaking of bread from house to house which is interpreted by all Divines of Sacramentall bread which phrase and manner of speaking is usually so expounded by all the Learned upon Acts the
and that their were more precious Churches in that street then in all England besides and he did confidently believe it And I was no sooner passed from him but turning on the right hand I saw many of the Independents going into the Nags-head a Taverne a little above Coleman-streete there they call their Parliament and make Committees and Chayre-men for preparing of businesses for the great Councell and for the advising of them what to do and there they order how they will deale with the Presbyterians and this is one of their meeting houses also whither the Saints resort upon all occasions to consult together about the affairs of the Church State and that is the holy drinking Schoole of the Saints for they say they are all Saints and to the pure all things are pure and therefore they must have a pure drinking Schoole But passing from Toleration-streete and leaving their drinking schoole and they together Let us consider their practices and what Master Knollys saith who tells us that some godly and learned men of approved gifts came to Sojourne in this City and preached the Word of God both publickly and from house to house and daily in the Temples and in every house they cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ I demande of any of the Independents now whether or no wheresoever any of those gifted men preach they have not a congregation to preach to and whether or no wheresoever any of them hath a gatherd Church as they call it he hath not there â—n his meeting house a Congregation and assembly and whether or no wheresoever they have preaching of the Word and breaking of bread amongst them they have not a Church or Congregation there I am confident they will none of them deny it Yea they will acknowledge that in as many places as the Word of God is preached amongst them and the Sacraments administred that in all those they have a severall Church congregation and assembly this very reason will dictate unto any man And therefore if in this City there be many Congregations and assemblies in all those places where they preach publikely and from house to house and in every house not onely because Mr Knollys saith it but because every mans reason will convince him of it after the same manner every man will conclude That in the Church of Ierusalem there was many Congregations and Assemblies for the Scripture relates That the word of God was preached publikely in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and that the Saints brake bread from house to house and that the Apostles ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ in every house and therefore all Christians are bound to beleeve this because the mouth of the Lord hath spoke it yea and it is acknowledged by Master Knollys from all which it doth now evidently appear to all the world that there were many Congregations and Assemblyes of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem which Mr Knollys notwithstanding doth wickedly deny affirming there were no more beleevers in Ierusalem then could all meet in any one place and so he not onely contradicts himselfe and fights against the very light of reason but which is more he gives the spirit of God the lye and therefore he ought by all those of the seven Churches to be severely dealt with as a wicked impostor and deceiver and ought indeeed to be thrown out of all their Congregations as a jugler and a false prophet Having thus evidently proved that there were many Congregations in the church of Jerusalem before the persecution I will by Gods assistance make good that there were also many Assemblyes under the persecution and after the persecution and this I do the rather undertake because some of the brethren have said that howsoever it could be proved that before the persecution there were many severall Assemblies yet by reason of the dispersion of the beleevers the Church of Ierusalem was so wasted and scattered that there were no more left then could all meet in one Congregation And were it so that after the scattering of the Beleevers and Christians in Ierusalem it could never be evinced and made good that there were more then could meet together in one place yet all this were nothing for the enervating of the argument for we must ever look upon the first constitution and government of the Church and what it was originally and by divine constitution and not what it was accidentally and through persecution and oppression and by the violence of men for governments of Churches are often changed from their Primordiall State through many casualties as it happened often in the Church of the Jewes and therefore in all reformations things are to be reduced to the first rule and originall pattern and we are not to look upon them as by occasion they vary and change through the injury of the times And therefore if we look into the Church of Ierusalem as she was in her youth and in her most flourishing age we shall finde her consisting of divers Congregations and many Assemblies and all them governed by a Common Councell and joynt consent of a Presbytery which must be the patterne of all Church Government to the end of the world if wee will in our Reformation conforme our selves to Gods Ordinance and to the first constitution But because I say they think it so difficult a thing to prove many Congregations in Jerusalem after the persecution I will now God willing make it evident and not onely after the persecution but even in and under the persecution and I will do it first out of that very place our brethren bring against us and by which they labour to evince the contrary the place is in the 8. of the Acts verse 1 2 4. In these words And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem and they were all scattered abroad through the Regions of Iudea and Samaria except the Apostles verse 3. As for Saul he made havock of the Church entring into every house and haling men and women committed them to prison Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word From whence the brethren gather that there were no more beleevers left than could meet in one Congregation Before I come to prove my Assertion I must give some Reasons to evince and make good that this dispersion and scattering of the Beleevers here spoken of was not so generall and universall and so great as that there might not yet remain more Congregations in Jerusalem and more people then could possibly meete in any one place or two for persecution is the bellowes of the Gospell which blowes every spark into a flame so that this their division proved their multiplication at home and abroad as wee shall see after I have set down my Arguments and Reasons so that it was no cause why we should conceive that there were fewer assemblies in the Church of
them all as no Christians but a deformed church and not cast into a church mould For my brother Burton peremptorily affirmes and that in the name of all the Independents pag. 11. that following the expresse Scripture the first formed church we finde is in Acts the 2. So that they all profâ—sse they reade of no formed church nor of no church cast into a church mould according to the new-testament forme till after Christs death and that expr sly set down for the time of it Acts the 2. So that the Christian church before Christs death and ascension was deformed that is to speake plainly that Iohn the Baptist Christ and his holy Apostles and all Christians made by them were not moulded up as they ought to be and formed into a Church or Churches which if it be not the height of blasphemy I refer to the judgment of any intelligent Reader Amongst them in their new moulded congregations a Pastor a Teacher and two Elders and a Deacon and five or six brethren more and three or four Sisters can make up a formed Church after the New Testament form Now is there any man so stupid and brutish as will not conclude that where Christ was the great Pastor and Shepherd of our Soules and where there were James and John the sonnes of Zebedee two Teachers or Doctors those Bonaerges those sonnes of Thunder and eight or nine Elders with seventy Disciples all Saints all whose names were writ in heaven with multitudes of Beleevers with many women that followed Christ the great Shepherd of our souls who had also a Decon amongst them Judas by name that all these could not or did not make up a formed church or churches when ten or twelve in their whibling congregations so qualified as formerly can make a formed church after the New Testament form I say he that shall not beleeve that the Lord Jesus Christ the great shepherd of his sheep and all his Disciples Schollers and followers cannot as well make a formed church as a few in our new founded or rather confounded congregations is voyd of all reason and understanding And they that shall peremptorily and rashly affirm that they were not a true formed church I proclaim them guilty of blasphemy and deserving most condigne punishment And therfore when my brother Burton and many of the Independents are guilty of this heinous and facinorous crime they ought severely to be dealt with as prevaricators against the divine Majesty of the King of Saints and King of Kings and against the honour of the Saints in Christs time and ought by all Christs true Disciples and such as love the honour and dignity of their King and Saviour Jesus Christ to be abominated as a company of false teachers calumniators and horrid seducers how godly soever they seem to the wrold to be And as all such teachers as my brother Burton and his complices are ought by Christs Saints and Servants to be looked on as a company of grand impostors and juglers So the poor and despised Presbyterians who they terme sinners and carnall people and men of earth and enemies of Christ and his Kingdome may comfort themselves in this that they are like their master and his Disciples and all that were converted by John the Baptist and by the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles and Disciples and baptized by them for they pronounce of us all that we are not formed into a church or churches nor cast into a church mould according to the New Testament forme and that we are not members of any true church nor Saints but enemies of Christ and at best but converts in part as if Christ the authour and finisher of our Faith wrought his worke to the halves this I say may comfort all us the poore despised Presbyterians for the same they say of Christ and his Disciples and of all that were converted and baptized by Johns and their ministry and such as partaked in all Ordinances of all which they affirm That they were not formed into a Church or Churches according to the New Testament form for in their babble there was not a formed church till that we reade of Acts the 2. So that neither Christ nor his Disciples nor John the Baptist and his Disciples nor the hundred and twenty names we read of Acts the 1. in their learning were a formed church nor all the other worshippers the Scripture speaks of Act. 2. nor thought worthy by them to be taken notice of for a church or churches So that by this bold assertion of my brother Burton and I. S. they do not only oppose the truth but indeed many of those of their own party and tribe howsoever they pretend they write in the name of them all who I am most assured will give them little thanks for this their pains for to my knowledge the learnedst of them are against them in this point and disavow their opinion For the principallest of them hold that the hundred and twenty names we read of Acts the first were a true formed church as all their writings and disputes declare and therefore my brother Burton and I. S. affirming the contrary in this they oppose many of their brethren as well as the Presbyterians and for this their temerity I am most confident they will be highly blamed by all the Judicious of that party And truly if the hundred and twenty names were not a true formed church there was then none upon Earth And if they had not been a formed church according to the New Testament forme they could not have given a forme to other churches for all learned christians agree in this That it must be a true formed Church that must make others true formed churches For they cannot give and communicate that to others that they have not themselvs this is one of their own principles and therefore they cannot deny it Now if the hundred and twenty names were a true formed church then all that were baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples and as many as were converted by their Ministry were a true formed church or churches for they were all formed after one and the same way so that what made the hundred and twenty Names a true formed church made all the other a true formed church or churches if the same cause can produce the same or the like effect And if men would but seriously consider what it is that is absolutely requisite or necessary and indeed abundantly sufficient for the making or forming of a true church or churches or for the making of any man or woman a Member of a true formed church they would soon and without any difficulty perceive That all those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist and Christs Disciples were as well formed into a church or churches as the hundred twenty names and those three thousand my brother Burton speakes of and which he â—alls the first formed church For all those that were baptized by John
and Christs Disciples beleeved the maine points of the christian Faith and professed subjection unto the Gospell of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome as well as the hundred and twenty names and the other three thousand and this was as much as Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe and all his Apostles required for the forming of them into a church or churches and making of any men or women Members of the same as is manifest in the second of the Acts verse 38 where Peter saith repent and be baptized And where likewise it is recorded That as many as gladly received the Word were baptized verse 41. and the same day were added to the church about three thousand Soules Neither was there required any more of those converted by Philippe in the church of Samaria Acts the 8. or of the Eunuch or of the Goaler or of any other that were admitted into church-fellowship in the Apostles â—imes then that they should beleeve and be baptized as is apparent through the whole story of the Acts. Now then when all that were baptized by the Baptist and Christs Disciples did all repent and beleeve as the Scripture relateth they did of which the hundred and twenty names were a part as well as those three thousand then they were all moulded into a church forme and formed into a church or churches as well as the three thousand that my brother Burton confesseth following the expresse Scripture were the first formed church And if beleeving the Gospell then and yeelding subjection unto it and repenting and being baptized were sufficient to make them Members and forme them into a church or Churches then beleeving and repenting now and being baptized and yeelding subjection unto the Gospell is sufficient for the making of either men or women Members and forming of them into a church or churches for these were the principall things and the only things then thought sufficient by the Baptist Christ and the blessed Apostles and all the Evangelists for the making of any Members and that in the Apostolicall prime and purest churches Neither have any Ministers of the Gospell in these our dayes any other rule to go by informing or gathering of churches or receiving of Members into any church then that Iohn the Baptist and the glorious Apostles and Disciples of Christ had all the which notwithstanding did then set up Christ upon his Throne as well as any Independent Ministers in our times and therefore as it is high presumption and rashnesse in those of the congregationall way to make or frame to themselves and to the Church of God any other rules to go by in forming of churches then those set down by Christ himselfe who is only to be heard Mat. 17. So it is a great sinne and breach of charity in them to deny those to be formed into a church or churches that observe not their new rules and yet observe and follow Christs injunctions and commands from all which I may well and safely conclude That when those that were baptized by the Baptist and Christs Disciples imbraced the Christian faith and professed subjection unto it and unto Christ the Messiah and were baptized by them into Christ or in his name who were men in office and sent of God to this purpose as having their commission immediately from him for their so doing for so Saint John saith Ioh. 1. v. 33. He that sent me to baptize c. so Christ saith Go teach all Nations and Baptize them c. Mat. 28. I say when this was the substance of Iohn the Apostles commission and when John performed it accordingly baptizing all Jerusalem and all Judea and all the Regions round about Matth. 3. and when the Disciples of Christ baptized more then John Iohn 4. then it followes that all those they baptized were all moulded into a Church or Churches as well as the hundred and twenty names who were baptized by their Ministery and those thousands that were converted baptized and added unto the Church in the 2. of the Acts by the Preaching and Ministery of Peter and the other Apostles and were all by the same reason formed into a Church or Churches not withstanding whatsoever my brother Burton and I. S. speake and dispute to the contrary and therefore they ought to have beene taken notice of by my good brother as formed into a Church or Churches And if it be duly considered what the Independents teach and hold concerning a true formed Church after the New Testament forme and according to their Principles then this very Church my Brother Burton saith was the first formed Church wee reade of was neither in his owne opinion nor according to the doctrine of those of the congregationall way a true formed Church as not having distinct Officers and Members united into one Church body respectively and therefore not a church properly so called and so then it will follow there was not at that time a true formed church in the World which is impious to say or thinke as in the sequell of this tractate by Gods assistance I shall abundantly make appeare and that from my Brother Burtons owne words and from the Independents definition of a Church and therefore my Brother Burton ought as little to have taken notice of those converted by Peters Sermon for the first formed Church as of those that were baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples for they had not their distinct Officers and Members united into a Church body respectively according to their learning yea they had not then Deacons at all nor Elders as many of the Independents hold nor other of their requisits for the making of a formed Church and therefore it was notachurch properly so called to speake in their Dialect But of these things in their due place I will now examine his following discourse by which the vanity of my Brother Burton will the better appeare and for the which I perswade my selfe he will receive if not a severe censure at least a moderate check such an one as I causelessly had not long since from a Plumporidge Presbyterian brother one of their fellow comoners and a trencher friend to that party for my Brother Burton doth in exprâ—sse words grant that which all the Independents and those of his faction absolutely deny viz. That there were many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jesalem this I say he granteth which all they deny attesting the contrary as all their dissenting Arguments shew who labour to prove that there were not many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and in formall words affirme That there were no more Beleevers in that Church then did and could all meet together in one place and congregation for they knew very well that if they should grant that the day on their side is lost and this caused Master Knollys by name and I. S. to come out against me for holding there were many congregations with a promise that if
them in all which Ordinances every one of those severall congregations did daily partake with the Fellowship of the Apostles all which in these our dayes are thought sufficient by those of the congregationall way to make any of their Assemblies a true and compleat formed Church and a Church properly so called so that wheresoever according to their owne Doctrine and Principles they inioy all these Ordinances in their severall meeting houses with a Pastor and Doctor and an Elder or two and a Deacon and three or foure good women and as many men every one of these severall Congregations challenge unto themselves though they consist but of ten or twelve the name of a formall and compleate Church properly so called and doe conclude that they are so many Churches properly so called in all which they affirme and no where else that Christ is set up as King upon his Throne And therefore if all the severall Congregations of the Independents considered by themselves respectively apart may properly in their opinion be called churches and that for the injoying but some of the above mentioned Ordinances and Priviledges that all those severall Congregations in the Church of Ierusalem did compleatly partake in then all good reason will conclude that all these severall Assemblies in Jerusalem respectively and severally considered were compleate churches properly so called and that as I said before with a great deale more and better reason by how much it is certaine that those congregations and severall assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem had both for Matter and Forme and all other requisits whatsoever in these our dayes can make a compleate Church or Churches properly so called And this that I have now said for the confirmation of the Major Proposition of my Argument may suffice it being grounded upon the Independents owne Principles and Doctrine so that I shall not need any more Reasons for the corroborating of the truth of the same As for my Minor Proposition they that shall reade but the first six Chapters of the Acts and the 18. of Matt. and the 28. of the same Booke and the sixteenth and twentieth of Saint Iohns Gospel shall find it sufficiently confirmed yea my Brother Burton denys not that there were many congregations in Ierusalem So that now I hope every judicious and intelligible Reader from all the forgoing Discourse will see that I have proved what I undertook viz. that there were not only several Congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem which all the Independents saving my Brother Burton deny but that all those severall congregations and assemblies severally and respectively considered were Churches properly so called which my Brother Burton thought a thing impossible to be evinced and that all those congregations and Assemblies notwithstanding made but one Church and were all of them under one Presbyterie governed communi consilio Presbyterorum which my Brother Burton all the Independents do acknowledge and therfore of necessity it must follow there was in Ierusalem a subordination or combining of many Churches all which neverthelesse were called but one Church as being under one government as the Churches at this day of Geneva Bazill and of the other reformed Cantons all the which consisting of many congregations or churches properly so called being united and combined together and subordinate make up but one Church in their severall Precincts after the example of the Church at Jerusalem and the other Primitive and purest Churches the government of all the which was left as a patterne of imitation to all succeeding 〈◊〉 to the end of the world to teach them to unite and combine themselves ther for the better and more orderly governing regulating of them And it is very fit that as the Mother Churches and those the most purest ones were ruled and ordered so should all the Daughter Churches be moderated and regulated in all following Generations to the full consummation of all things yea all reason will perswade any intelligible man that a Councel or colledge of grave Divines and experienced men and men of Knowledge Learning and Integrity should know a great deale better how to governe then a few giddy headed witlesse and worthlesse men women which most of the new Congregations consist of Now in all the Primitive and Apostolicall Churches wee find this kind of government as in the seven Churches of Asia the which consisted of many and severall Congregations in their severall Precincts and yet made but one Church in their particular Jurisdictions and all those my Brother Burton speaks of and which hee brings in for the making up of a compleate paterne of Church government were so governed communi consilio Presbyterorum as that of Ephesus as I shall by and by briefly prove after I have answered to what my Brother Burton hath yet to say in this busines to whose words if any credit may be given then the Church of Ierusalem it selfe which hee cals the first formed Church was not a perfect formed Church for hee accuseth that of imperfection and not that only but all the other Primitive and Apostolicall Churches saying that they were not compleate within themselves so that to make up a compleate patterne of a true constituted Church we must borrow something from each of them and he affirmes that there is the same relation betweene church and churches that is betweene the Members of the body every one having need of the other so that of necessity by this his doctrine they were all dependent by the which he doth oppose all his brethren of the congregationall way who hold and labour to maintaine not the perfection onely of every one of the Primitive churches within themselves but the parity likewise of them and the equall authority and affirme that they were all Independent which opinion of theirs my Brother Burton overthrowes making them all Dependent But let us heare himselfe speake Secondly saith hee it being no more then one entire particular Church and not any Diocesan or Provinciall Church or the Presbytery thereof classicall as you would beare us in hand it is a paterne to all particular Churches in succeeding ages and yet by your favour not so perfect as no Apostolick churches besides it should also come in to make up the patern compleat for wee must necessarily take all the Churches c. as you may see at large in his words before quoted I desire the Reader here in the second part of his answer to take notice of his expressions where First there is Petitio principii an ordinary Error amongst sophisticall dealing men hee begs the question denying the Presbytery of the church at Ierusalem to be classicall which notwithstanding the Scripture sufficiently evinceth as hath beene abundantly proved viz. that the church of Ierusalem consisted of many congregations and notwithstanding it was governed by the joynt consent and common counsell of many Presbyters to both which he accordeth and yet as if
nothing had beene granted by himself or said by me to prove it hee grollishly denieth it Secondly I shall intreat the Reader to observe how he doth not onely contradict himselfe but oppose all his brethren of the congregationall way for they all acknowledge That the church at Jerusalem and the government of that was to be a paterne of Government to all churches insucceeding times as being a most perfect paterne and the Mother church in imitation of the which Government as they pretend they mould up all their particular congregationall churches saying that as the church at Jerusalem had an absolute power within it selfe and was not dependent upon any other churches as being compleate within it selfe so ought every church in like manner after the example of that church to exercise all authority within it selfe and not have dependency on any other for in all particulars they avow the church of Ierusalem was a perfect formed church and the same they assert of all the Primitive and Apostolicall churches This I say is the Doctrine of all the Idependents besides himselfe that I ever have read or talked with yea my Brother Burton in the beginning of his Answer to his owne Argument saith that the first formed Church we finde is in the second of the Acts. Then if it was a formed Church as hee confesseth then there was nothing wanting unto it so that of necessity it must be a compleate and perfect church for that that is deficient and deformed that cannot bee said to be perfect and compleate and a formed church now if it were a formed church as he above said then it was a perfect and an entire church as all rationall men will easily and readily gather And yet notwithstanding here he affirmeth that it was not a perfect paterne and therefore saith he for the making up of a compleate paterne of church government all the other Apostolicall churches besides it must come in By which words of his I maintaine hee does not only oppose all those of his owne party who all hold the contrary but contradicts himselfe But let us heare himselfe speake of necessity saith hee we are to take all the churches of the New Testament together to make up one entire and perfect Church patern For in the Church of Jerusalem we find Election of Officers but we find not expressed that part of Discipline for casting out of corrupt Members as in the Church of Corinth and so in the rest For the Churches were not brought forth to full perfection in one day Their very constitution had a graduall growth The Church of Jerusalem had not Deacons at first till there was necessity The summe is to make up a compleat patern not only the Church of Jerusalem but that of Corinth of Ephesus those of Galatia and Philippi and the rest are to be conferred together that each may cast in its shot to make up the full reckoning so that what is not exprest in the one may be supplied by the rest to make up one Entire Platform For the Scripture consists of many Books as so many Members in one body one Member cannot say to an other I have no need of thee 1 Corinth 12. c. Thus my brother Burton confuteth all his brethren who in all their writings with an unanimous consent hold that the church of Jerusalem and all the other Apostolicke churches were prefect formed churches and absolute within themselves and Independent where as he blames them all of imperfection and sayes They must all be conferred together to make up an entire platforme which if it be not an opposing of them all and a contradicting of himselfe I referre to the Iudgement of the learned For he in the beginning of his answer said The first formed church we met with was that in the 2. of the Acts and yet he here accuseth it of imperfection and faylings and therefore not formed for at that time saith he it wanted Deacons and we finde not expressed that part of Discipline for casting out of corrupt members at any time as in the church of Corinth and the rest So that by his Doctrine here was a great defect and fayling in the Church at Ierusalem and therefore it was not a church properly so called for every church properly so called according to his learning must have not only a good Discipline but Distinct Officers and Members united into one church body respectively for these are his formall words page 11. Now a church according to their discription truly formed and properly so called is when it hath a particular Pastor and Teacher or Doctor and two to three Elders and a Deacon with ten or eleven good men and women with an explicite particular Covenant now I shall desire my brother Burton in his reply to send me word which of all the Ministers that were there at that time was the peculiar-Pastor of this formed church and which of them was the Teacher or Doctor or who were their Elders and who were their Deacons for the distinction of Officers and Members united into one church body respectively is that that makes up a formed church properly so called in their Dialect and therfore if he cannot make all that I require of him clearly appeare then he can never prove either the church at Ierusalem or any of the primitive and Apostolicall churches churches properly so called for we reade not in all the holy Scripture that any church had a particular Pastor and Doctor peculiar to it self or but two Elders and a Deacon with a small company of men and women or any particular Covenant but we reade that in all the churches there were mighty multitudes of believers and many Deacons and that they had many Presbyters set over them and church Officers to governe them in common and nothing in particular of that distinction of Officers and Members united into one church body respectively with any such Covenant which he and all the Independents say make a church properly so called and without which in their Language it cannot be adistinct and formall church properly so called from which I do with very good reason conclude and that from the new light I have from my brother Burton that either the church at Ierusalem and all the other primitive churches were not churches properly so called or well formed churches according to the new-testament forme which were impious either to thinke or say or if they were that then there may at this day be compleat churches properly so called although they have not distinct Officers and Members united into one church body respectively but serve their flocks and congregations in common So that all the bable of my brother Burton and his brethren of the congregationall way is but wickedly and unchristianly to abuse the world and to delude poore people when they demande such things of their brethren as essentially necessary for the constituting of a church properly so called as God never required at his
all of them necessarily be conferred together for the making up of a compleat paterne so that every one of them was to bring in its shot to make up the full reckoning that so what is not expressed in the one may be supplied by the rest to make up a compleat platforme These are his formall words adding with all That as the Scripture consists of many bookes and the body of many members and one Member cannot say to the other I have no need of thee 1 Cor. 11. So it was amongst the Apostolicall churches they had all need one of another I say my brother Burton in his thus speaking is not only against the opinion of all the Independents for the which I am assured thâ—â— will sharply reprove him but Volens Nolens concludes that all the Primitive churches were necessarily dependent one upon another as the severall Members are in one body which is that that all those of his party peremptorily deny though indeede it be an Evangelicall truth as I shall god willing abundantly prove in examining the government of all those churches my brother Burton enumerateth as that of Corinth Phililppi those of Galatia and the rest with that of Ephesus all which he brings in for making up of his compleat paterne and all the which I will take notice of though he and his Schollers will take no notice of my indefinite enumeration of those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist and Christs Disciples to be formed into a Church or churches I say although he will take no notice of my enumeration I will take notice of those churches he enumerateth and prove them all Classicall and dependent upon their severall Presbyteries and that there was not an Independent church such as they describe unto us in the world in the Apostles time nor before our dayes nor never such a whimsie taken notice of before this doting age of the world I shall also take notice of his words for matter of comfort to us poore Presbyterians who the Independents tearme at every word an Antichristian brood who may not think it much nor be offended with it but rather rejoyce when they accuse our churches not to be well formed churches after the new testament forme and when they say that our churches are not perfect churches and churches properly so called for here my brother Burton a Master illdependent censureth and judgeth not onely the congregations in the church at Ierusalem to be no churches properly so called but the whole church of Jerusalem it selfe for want of a great part of Discipline and for want of Officers and blameth all other Churches accusing them likewise of faylings and imperfections saying that they must be all conferred together for the making up a compleat platforme which is in plaine English to say they were all defective and not compleate and formed churches which indeede is a horrid peece of blasphemy and deserves condigne punishment from all those of his party And truly as it is a matter of wonder to see when men once desert and forsake the truth what errors out of pride and giddinesse they soone fâ—ll into so it may exceedingly rejoyce and comfort us that in all their aspersing of us and daily calumniating our Churches for some faylings and imperfections as they conceive and in their denying of them to be true formed churches for in this we are like sufferers with all the Primitive and Apostolicke churches all the which my Brother Burton accuseth of imperfection and for faylings so that if he will censure them it is no wonder they not only condemne all our churches for Antichristian and not well formed Churches but separate from them as from so many Synagogues of Satan for so they tearme our Assemblies But now to take notice of my brother Burtons enumeration The sum of all saith he to make up a compleat paterne not onely the Church at Jerusalem but that of Corinth and those also of Galitia and that of Philippi Ephesus and the rest are to be conferred together to make up one entire platforme Thus he Now then if it can be proved that all these Churches my brother Burton enumerates as that of Corinth Philippi those of Galatia of Ephesus and the rest did consist of many and severall congregations within their severall Precincts and yet were all of them governed by the Common Councell of their severall Presbyteries and all of them notwithstanding made but one Church iâ— their severall jurisdictions and that all those Churches I say were Classically governed and were all dependent upon their severall Presbyters as being subordinate to them and likewise subject to the Synodicall Decrees at Ierusalem then it will follow that all churches in succeeding ages to the end of the world are to be so governd for all these churches make up an entire and compleat paterne or platforme of governing all churches for future ages as my brother Burton granteth I shall therefore desire the reader it being a businesse of so great importance to give me leave as I proved the Church of Ierusalem to consist of many Congregations or Churches which my brother Burton calls branches of that Church therefore necessarily depending upon the stock So now briefly to evince that all those Churches my brother Burton enumerats consisted likewise of many Congregations and were all Classically governed And then I will also prove that according to the Independents definition of a Church their very Congregationall Churches and Assemblies are not true Churches properly so called and withall I shall make good by Gods assistance and that from their own Principles that they are Dependent All which I will doe in order And first I will begin with the Church of Samaria which is one of the rest my Brother Burton saieth must be taken in for the making up a compleat platforme This City of Samaria was the Regall City and the Palace or Chamber of the Kings of Israell and was one of the greatest Cities then in the world and next to Ierusalem the famousest in all Palestine and one of the greatest in all Canaan for extent and it must needs be a great one that could entertaine the whose Assyrian army at one time and it was exceeding populous as all the stories of the Kings and Chronicles witnesse in the which we know there was a true Church in Christs time and that planted by Christ himselfe as we may see in the 4 of Iohn where we reade that our Saviour converted not onely the woman of Samaria but many more who were made beleevers by his Ministry as they themselves acknowledge and testifie and to this Church were many thousands added by the preaching and miracles of Philip for it is said of them Acts the 8. vers 6. 10. 12. 14. that all those that had bin seduced by that Jugler Simon Magus which were in no small numbers every one of them being undeceived by the preaching and wonders of Philip now believed and were baptized so that there
and in the Baptist as it is at large set downe Matth. 3. and it was ratified by all the blessed Trinity as by the immediate descension of the Spirit of God upon Christ in the likenesse of a Dove who was the person baptized with a voice from God the Father out of Heaven saying this is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased So that Christ God the Father and God the Holy Ghost did sanctifie and confirme this ordinance not only to all those that had beene baptised by Iohn and Christs disciples who were also baptized by Iohn but to all those in all future ages that should be baptized by Christs disciples and all his faithfull Ministers which hee sent into all nations to preach and baptize them Matth. 28. to all which hee promised his presence to the end of the world So that I am most assured all good Christians beleeve that Christ was well baptized and if he was well baptized it cannot be denyed but that all those that were baptized by Iohn and Christs disciples were all likewise well baptized and were all good Christians for both Iohn and the Disciples had their commission from God and Christ himselfe for their so doing and therefore if any authority from Heaven and a speciall command from God and a mission from him be of any force to ratifie and ascertaine any ordinance then the baptisme of Iohn and Christs disciples was authenticke and all those that were baptized by them ought to have beene taken notice of by my brother Burton and all the Independents as formed into a church or churches except they doe indeed beleeve that Christ the King and head of his church with his blessed Apostles and all his seventy Disciples whose names were written in Heaven and all those multitudes of men and women that administred unto him and followed him of whom hee gave this testimony Matth. 12. ver 49 50. Behold my mother and my brethren for whosoever shall doe the will of my father which is in heaven the same is my brother sister and mother except I say they beleeve all these cannot make up a formed Church or churches which were impiety to thinke Now I referre it to the judgement of any well grounded christians whether or no they doe not beleeve that the great Pastor and Shepheard of our soules Christ Iesus with his mother brethren and sisters with all those that heard the voice of this their Shepheard and knew it and therefore followed him and beleeved in him with all Johns Disciples and those that were baptized by his and Christs disciples Ministry cannot as well make up a formed church or churches as any of our new formed congregations with a Pastor and Teacher and a few other of their conceited Members I am fully perswaded that upon due deliberation they will say they can see no good reason but that Christ the chiefe Pastor of his sheepe and so many true beleevers and Saints with him should not all of them as well make up a formed church or churches as ten or twelve in one of our new congregations and therefore that they ought to have beene taken notice of by my brother Burton and those of his Fraternity as formed into a church or churches which notwithstanding they doe not asserting in expresse termes that they take no notice of them as formed into a church or churches which if it be not the highest point of blasphemy and temerity I know not what either blasphemy or rashnesse is in any The Ildependents have unchurcheâ— all the reformed churches and all churches but those of the congregationall way and now they unchurch all those glorious Christians that were baptized by the Baptist and Christs disciples wee saith my brother Burton in the name of them all take no notice of them unlesse formed into a church or churches So that wee may not wonder at least wee may not take it in ill part that they unchurch us and deny our churches here in England and all other reformed churches to bee formed churches after the New Testament forme for they say the same of Christ and all that beleeved in him and that were baptized into him whiles hee was upon earth affirming that they were not formed into a church or churches So that having so good company we may the more quietly sit downe when wee are so like our Master and his Disciples and Followers of all the which they say they take no notice of them as formed into a Church or Churches These words may not slightly be passed over Wee saith my brother Burton take no notice of them unlesse formed into a Church or Churches c. What men ordinarily take no notice of they slight or little regard especially if they speake those words from the judgement of deliberation and not upon extemporary passion or except they be in very great haste and then they may be somewhat excused if they passe by their best friends and take no notice of them otherwise if they speake it out of seriosity that they take no notice of men it is as much as to say they slight them regard them not or despise them But I have a better opinion of my brother Burton though he thinketh very unworthily of me then that hee should slight his best friend Jesus Christ and take no notice of him and his disciples and all the beleevers in Christs time especially when hee pretends That hee onely labours to set him up upon his Throne as King and counts all his dissenting brethren from his wayes enemies of Iesus Christ and his Kingdome I say in this regard I harbour a more favourable and a more charitable opinion of my brother Burton then that upon mature deliberation and serious thoughts he should take no notice of Christ and his Apostles and Followers and of all the faithfull baptized by Iohn and Christs disciples as not formed into a church or churches and yet these are his words we saith he take no notice of them as formed into a Church or Churches I therefore conceive more venerably of him as that it was in his haste when he thus spake and printed for so hee intimateth in his learned Epistle to the Reader therefore saith hee I hasted at length as fast as before I was slow if possible to recover our brother a charitable Gentleman toward a brother though not well advised It seemes here was some tumour began to grow and made him giddy and run like a chicken without a scalpe which needs timely lancing to prevent some inflammation to a head whiles the humor flows in so fast to use some of his own Rhetorick This humour of his made my good brother idle-brained and occasioned him to make more haste then good speed certainly it either perverted his judgment or put him into a lunacy or into one of his odd dreams for otherwise he would have taken notice if not of those multitudes baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples atleast of Christ
be all dependent I shall set downe the chiefe things observable in it First they define a visible church to bee a mysticall body of which Christ is the head the Members Saints c. Secondly they assert that this church is but one congregation or as many as can conveniently meet together in any one place to partake in all Gods holy Ordinances Thirdly they affirme that the forme of this church is a holy explicite covenant which falsely they make one of Gods Ordinances or they say they are united together into one congregation by an holy covenant Now it cannot be holy except it be one of Gods Ordinances and have his command and authority for it which is that that ingraves holinesse upon it otherwise it is either diabolicall or at least but humane So that in the Independents learning wheresoever any of these things are wanting in any congregation of christians it is not a formed church for this is their definition of a church within the bounds and limits of which whatsoever church doth not come and within the which it is not terminated it is no true church and so by this all particular churches that are and have beene in the world neither were nor are true formed churches no not the very Independent congregations themselves as I hope by Gods assistance I shall illustriously make appeare after I have said something in order of the particular branches of this their definition and have shewed the absurdities of it and the impossibilities of attaining such a church as they have set out and the great inconveniences and indeed the unsupportable bondage that would redound unto thousands of Gods people if these men might have their mind and all things according to their definition For from such a church as they describe and desire though it consist but of ten or twelve bee they never so erroneous in their doctrine and never so corrupt in their manners and never so perverse malicious and unplacable in their minds and wils and let their unjustice done against any poore oppressed Member by them be never so great or exorbitant there is no appeale from it or helpe or redresse to be expected by any appeale to any other court church or Ecclesiasticall Tribunall which is a yoake of one of the most horrid tyrannies and slaveries that ever the world yet saw and which neither wee nor our Fore-fathers could ever beare a greater then the which never any men voluntarily put themselves under before these our unhappy times All the which I shall God assisting mee in the examination of the severall parts of this definition make evident And first whereas they define a visible church to be a mysticall body If any Presbyterian should have so spake the Independents would have said it had beene a bull For visible and mysticall cannot be predicated of one and the same body at one and the same time for if it be mysticall then not visible and if visible then not mysticall and therefore their definition belongs rather to the invisible church then to any visible congregation because the matter of it is the mysticall body of Christ consisting of Saints and such as are truly holy and godly which none know but God himselfe for no man can certainly and positively say that this or that man is a Saint but in the judgement of charity which is often mistaken as the Independents themselves acknowledge they have beene for the time was that they thought some men Saints who are the same still they then were and yet now they not only thinke but say though falsely they are Devils and repent that ever they prayed for them But most true it is that God only knowes who are his yea the Apostles themselves though of more discerning spirits then any in our age yet could not discover Iudas Christ onely knew hee was a Devill it was hidden and a mysterie to the Apostles and the same to this day lies hid from all men who are Saints indeed that belongs onely to God it is his Prerogative who is the searcher of all hearts and therefore their definition is absurd groundlesse and vaine in this branch of it when they say a visible church is a mysticall body consisting of none but Saints And then it would follow that none of the Apostolicall churches were true formed churches according to this their modell for wee reade not onely of many scandalous walkers amongst them but of some hereticks and yet they ceased not to be true churches what ever the Independents thinke now of such congregations as are mixt though in none or in very few of them they can discover any such offenders as were in the church in Corinth Galatia Philippi and in some of the seven churches of Asia and therefore if their definition bee good none of the Primitive churches were true churches yea I hope to make it evident in the sequell that none of the churches of the congregationall way are then true churches as not consisting of all Saints But now I come to the second branch or part viz. that the Church they desire must be but one congregation injoying all Gods Ordinances in it which if it be true and good in this branch also then the Church at Ierusalem was not a well formed church for there were many congregations and then also never a Church in the world to this day was a true church much lesse can any of our new congregations challenge that title and be true churches it being impossible though they consist but of one congregation apeece for them severally to injoy all Gods Ordinances in any one of them for amongst Gods Ordinances the Independents both in New-England and here amongst us hold that Synods and Councels are one of Gods Ordinances and yet they are not churches properly so called in their dialect though as they are representative bodies of many churches they may have that name given them and are churches in my notion and according to my understanding but I say not properly according to their language for their congregations consist of particular Pastors and Teachers and of two or three Elders apeice and Deacons and of a few men and women and have many other pretty things required for the moulding of them up into formed churches after the New-Testament forme whereas in Councels and Synods they have neither particular Pastors nor Teachers over them nor any such Elders and Deacons as they require nor no women so that no particular church in the world to this present day injoyed that Ordinance in it For a Synod and Councell consists of Presbyters onely and that of many not onely out of any one particular church though never so large and great but out of many sent and delegated from each of them respectively and severally yea many times not only out of many severall Presbyteries adjacent but out of other countries and Provinces as that at Jerusalem and all the ancient Councels and that lately at Dort and this our
Synod now present and their imployments likewise are of an other nature then that of ordinary Pastors in their severall congregations as all men know and therefore not a church properly so called according to their language for a Synod and church are two distinct things and both of them together were never yet found in any one congregation in the world and so by consequence there was never any congregation or particular church that yet injoyed all Gods Ordinances and therefore if their definition be good they were no true churches for they had no Synod or Councell in them neither can any of our new congregations at this day have a Synod in them and therefore they injoy not all Gods Ordinances in them severally and so come not within the compasse bounds and limits of their owne definition and therefore remaine not true formed churches as not injoying that Ordinance Besides there are other Ordinances that the congregationall churches cannot injoy for there is an impossibility of it not only in the beginning and first constitution of them but many times after in regard of mortality and the death of their Elders and Pastors and other Officers or when there remaines but one alive as it often happens in our new congregations and therefore of necessity they must bee Dependent if they will injoy all Ordinances or else be no churches as not injoying all Ordinances As for instance there are Ordinances that neerly concerne every particular congregation which cannot be performed by that alone for how can a particular congregation which for the most part consists of ignorant men and women try the sufficiency of the Presbyters that are to be elected or put over them when they have no knowledge in those Sciences Arts Faculties and Histories and of the tongues and languages as Latine Greeke Hebrew and are ignorant in many other things that in some competency are required in all such as are to be made Presbyters and Ministers over them when I say not any one in those congregations many times have any knowledge in any one of those arts and sciences in all which a Minister ought in some measure to bee versed in if hee will take upon him that high calling and charge of the Ministry and duly and rightly performe it unto them and were it so that in all these new gathered churches they had such intelligible Members who when they have made choyce of them shall give them imposition of hands which belongs onely to the Presbyterie and Elders to perform cannot be done by the people who never were appointed by God to ordaine Officers in his church as all the learnedst of the Independents hold and teach so that when any Elders and Presbyters and other church Officers are to be ordained in their new gathered churches they permit not the common people to impose hands upon them but alwayes desire Elders and Presbyters of other congregations to doe it without whose helpe they cannot injoy this Ordinance amongst themselves and therefore if they will have it they must necessarily be Dependent The same may be said of the Ordinance of Excommunication but I will first speake of imposition of hands and ordination of Elders and Officers the which howsoever in some of the more unlearned Independents esteeme it to be of small weight and but a complement yet it is one of Gods holy Ordinances which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes accounts and reckons amongst the Principles of Religion and a part of the Foundation Heb. 6. ver 1 2 which place of Scripture one of the Fathers of the congregationall way Master Henry Iacob by name who first baptized their new gathered churches with that compellation of Independent churches for his owne advantage exceedingly urged to overthrow the lawfulnesse of the Ministers of the church of England because as hee supposed the church of England erred in the Foundation not having the due and right imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie though in this as in many of his other opinions hee was very much mistaken for those that imposed hands upon the Ministers at their Ordination were Presbyters Yet I say they can urge this place for their advantage against us and therefore I see no reason why wee also may not much more make use of it against them it being Gods owne institution and to be perpetuated to the worlds end in all churches so that wheresoever this Ordination and Imposition of hands by the Presbyterie is wanting in any church that church cannot be truly said to injoy al Ordinances within it selfe for there is an impossibility of obtaining or injoying this Ordinance of Ordination of Officers by the Imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie and that often in their new gathered churches not onely in the beginning of them and in their first constitution as I said before but at many other times also and that by reason of the death and mortality of their Elders or when but one of them remaines alive which frequently happens amongst them as daily experience teacheth us so that of necessitie they must crave the helpe of other churches and therefore in all these respects are Dependent for not any one Elder alone and by himselfe can ordaine an other there must be more together for that imployment for it must bee done by the imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie if it be justly done and according to Gods appointment that is of many Presbyters as the word imports And if wee take a survey and view of all the Primitive and Apostolicall churches as that at Ierusalem of Philippi Ephesus and the other Asian Churches wee shall find in them all an established Presbyterie as I have abundantly proved many Elders and Pastors in each of them appointed over them to govern and rule them in common and all those severall Presbyteries had in each of them the power of Order and Jurisdiction and the authority of imposing of hands and ordination of Elders and Officers within themselves in their respective Presbyteries so that they were as so many Corporations or Committees having their Presidents and Chaire-men with all other Officers amongst themselves and that in abundance as the Scripture relateth as in all well ordered Corporations at this day it is to bee seene so that if any one or more of their Presbyters or Officers dyed within their severall preeincts they did by vertue of their severall Charters presently goe to the Ordination of new ones and of as many as they had need of of which they had store and choyce for the most part as all well ordered Corporations at this day have who if their Presidents dye or any of their Aldermen or any of their Common Councell or any of their other Officers they forthwith make election of others out of some of their Free-men or of men well knowne to them for sufficiencie wisedome and discretion and all other abilities without having recourse to any other Corporations for they are armed with
of these baptized persons were of the Church of Ierusalem and for ought I know saith he or the Doctor either many of those baptized persons might be in the other Churches of Iudaea yea the most of them and but few in Ierusalem it may be no more but those hundred and twenty mentioned Acts 1. 13 14 15. to whom were added about three thousand soules And in the ninth page he saith the text well considered onely holds forth that the number of men was made up five thousand Thus he So that in the reckoning of my brother Burton and Master Knollys the whole number of beleevers in Ierusalem at first and last was but five thousand in all Now I refer my selfe unto the judicious and godly Reader whether these men have not made false Musters or no to use some of I. S. his language and whether or no my brother Burton and Master Knollys have not with-held the truth from the people in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. And whether they have not done most sacrilegiously unjustly and wickedly in thus robbing the Church at Ierusalem of so many thousand Members For first they subduct and cut off all those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist and Christs disciples and all those devout men and true worshippers in Ierusalem spake of in the second chapter and take no notice of them Secondly whereas it is related in the second chapter verse 47. that besides those three thousand soules that were converted by Peters Sermon that the Lord added daily unto the Church such as should be saved they subduct and cut off those likewise and make no mention of them And whereas in the fourth chapter the number of those that were converted by the second miracle and sermon is related to be about five thousand men they cut off three thousand of these also and whereas in the fifth chapter it is said that Beleevers were more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women that is to say many more great Assemblies and Congregations then were before all those in like manner they subduct and pare off and whereas in the sixth chapter it is related that the word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith all those likewise they defalcate with all the other increases of multitudes the Scripture speaks of with the many ten thousands recorded in the 21. chapter neither doe they make any mention of them or take any notice of them but casting up the whole summe they bring in the totall reckoning and number of all the Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem at first and last to be but five thousand in all and all this they have done out of their perverse wilfull and obstinate wickednesse to the end they may deceive the ignorant and simple people which is a most horrid sinne and wickednesse in them thus to juggle who they could not delude if they were indeed truly informed and did not they and their complices with-hold the truth from them in unrighteousnesse for were the people truly informed that in the Church of Jerusalem there were many ten thousands al intelligible yea but ordinary understanding men and women yea very children would conclude That they could not then all possibly meet in one congregation or a few to partake in all acts of worship and therefore of necessity they must be distributed into divers congregations and assemblies all which notwithstanding made still but one Church and therefore they would gather that they must necessarily be combined under one Presbyterie and be dependent upon it This I affirme every rationall creature would from grounded reason be able to gather if they were rightly instructed whether therefore it be not the highest point of dishonesty both in my brother Burton Master Knollys and all those Teachers of the congregationall way thus to abuse the people and whether this be not in them all to with-hold the truth in unrighteousnesse I leave it to the judgement of all the truly godly and such as make conscience of their wayes and dealings And now I come to what I. S. that Groll hath to say to my second Proposition for hee must be answered also or else he will exceedingly triumph In the 11. page of his Flagelli hee hath these words by way of answer I am not saith hee satisfied by any thing that hath beene alleaged by the Doctor that the Church of Jerusalem consisted of many congregations and assemblies and that upon the scruples before instanced Thus I. S. expresseth his non-satisfaction in that place and in the tenth page for farther answer hee thus declareth himself First saith he you say the brethren themselves acknowledge that all the Beleevers in Ierusalem were all Members of that Church If you meane that Church spake of Acts the 15. 4. J deny and say it is a grosse presumption and begging of the question to say that wee acknowledge all the Beleevers in Ierusalem to be Members of that one ministring Church especially if you reckon all Iohns Disciples and converts to those Beleevers for as there was a good space of time after there were multitudes of Beleevers ere there was such a Church so for any thing hath yet beene brought to the contrary it is probable enough that the true Beleevers which were not so many after you have cut off Iohns converts I meane those that did sticke in Iohns Baptisme which were multitudes and temporary Beleevers which ceased to walke with Christ which were not a few and strangers which did afterwards disperse themselves into severall countries those that did remaine at Ierusalem did gradually grâ—w up unto Church fellowship and it amounts to no lesse then to the former begging and presumption that which sollowes viz. that this Proposition is manifest out of the Scripture viz. that they that were converted are said to be added to the Church For what saith I. S. if that be to be understood of the Church Catholick and not a particular church It may not be denied that the word Church is often so used in the New Testament and it is suspicious that the three thousand converted at once were not so soone instructed in church fellowship as converted c. Thus worshipfull Sir I. S. disputeth whose words are a very farrago of errors and vanity by which hee sufficiently declareth unto the world that hee is in the number of those Masters Saint Paul speaketh of 1 Tim. chap. 1. verse 7. who desiring to be Teachers of the Law understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirme and confident I am that there was never a more arrogant and a more presumptuoas sot that ever put pen to paper then this I. S. and whose words are guilty of more ignorance and fuller of the emptinesse of selfe conceitednesse and more lyable to exception for hee is not only a stranger to the Independent doctrine and to the Church of Jerusalem hee
chapter it is related that there were devout men true beleevers out of every Nation under Heaven all Inhabitants and Dwellers there and that the Lord added dayly to those such as should be saved and these were without doubt great numbers they being indefinitely set down And in the fourth chapter we finde a new addition of five thousand men more converted and withall I may tell I. S. that it is suspicious to use his own language that the three thousand first converts were all men likewise for so many learned men conceive of those converts but for the five thousand it is out of doubt for the holy Word of God saith in terminis that they were all men And by the law of charity we are bound to beleeve that all those converts were as zealous for the publishing and spreading abroad of the truth of this their Christian Faith and Doctrine as any other people ever were and therefore that they did make known the wonderfull things of God and what he had done for them to all their acquaintance and neighbours especially we are obliged to beleeve that they did teach and instruct their wives children and servants and their whole families in the nurtrature and fear of the Lord and in the knowledge of the Gospell And it is also to be believed that the women and all sorts of people were then as docible and intelligible and as ready to give attendance unto wholesome and sound words and to imbrace any truth of the Gospell as our giddy-headed people and women are now ready to imbrace and follow novelties especially we may with all reason be induced to beleeve this that they would then be the sooner perswaded to receive the doctrine of the Gospell in regard it came ratified and confirmed unto them with such mighty signes and wonders for the Iewes had often before desired signs and miracles saying unto Christ What signe she west thou that we may beleeve in thee intimating that if he could shew unto them any sign that then they would beleeve in him and so they said unto him when he was upon the crosse If thou wouldest have us beleeve in thee said they come down from the crosse and save thy selfe and then thou shalt perswade us that thou art indeed the sonne of God Now then when the Lord by his Apostles and Disciples did dayly gratifie them with such signes and wonders as that the very high Priests and Rulers themselves were forced to confesse upon the cure of the criple that no body could deny but it was a wonderfull miracle I say therefore when the preaching of the Gospell was concomitated upon all occasions with such mighty wonders it cannot be doubâ—ed but that the ordinary people both men and women were easily perswaded to beleeve it when the Magistrates themselves were astonished to see those wonders and therefore yeelded the more credit unto their husbunds and masters instructions yea we read of many women Luke 23. ver 27 28. that mourned for Christ when they carryed him to crucifying And if we look also into the story of holy writ we shall finde that there were many women that followed him in his life time those honourable ones which ministred dayly unto him Now then if we beleeve which we ought in charity to do that there were but as many beleeving women converted as men as we may for ought any thing can be said to the contrary then we have already sixteen thousand beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem according to the new stile of the Church Neither did the Church stand then at a stay For in the fifth chapter upon the dreadfull death of Ananias and Saphira and by reason of some other miracles Beleevers saith the text were more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women Now this word multitude as I shewed before in all languages it ever signifies some great company or some great assembly or concourse of people whether it be taken in a good sense or a bad therefore saith the holy Scripture follow not a multitude to do evil So that here many new great congregations of beleevers were added to the Church besides all those before specified and in the 6. chapter v. 7. it is recorded that the word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith In the which words there is these four things observable The first that the word of God increased that is brought forth many children which were begotten to the Faith by the preaching of it Secondly in expresse words it is said that the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem the place it selfe where being specified that is to say they were increased and that in no small companies in that very Church and City of Jerusalem Thirdly it is said that they multiplyed greatly both the words having a great emphasis in them the number of Disciples multiplyed saith the Scripture and that greatly to shew the miraculous and wonderful increase of them as if the Scripture should have said that the number could not be set down Fourthly it is said also for the setting forth of the efficacy of the Gospell that a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith not a few but a great company also of the Priests those inveterate enemies of Jesus Christ every one of these words hath weight in it and being but a little pondered will create belief from any ordinary understanding man that there were by this means and after their conversion infinites of people dayly added unto the Church of Ierusalem not onely by the powerfull preaching and miracles of the Apostles but by the helpe and preaching of these Priests also of whom we ought to harbour this opinion that now they were as diligent considering the great love of Christ towards themselves to convert and bring men unto him as ever they were before to disswade the people from following him this I conceive the law of charity binds all men to beleeve that they being now converted would study to convert others For we see that as soon as Andrew had found Christ John 1. he brought his brother Simon to him And after Christ had called Philip unto him he finding Nathaniel bringeth him also unto Christ And if we observe it it is the nature of true grace that it is ever operative and fruitfull and will loose no opportunity of doing good and gaining friends unto it So that all those that are really and truly converted they will ever study and indeavour to convert others yea they are bound unto it according to that of Christ who when he related unto Peter that the devill soughts to winnow him as wheat and told him farther that he had prayed for him that his faith might not faile added withall this lesson unto Simon Peter saying When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren This duty lay not only upon Simon Peter but it
and seduced and deceived such multitudes of simple people as they have done and that in a short time what multitudes of people may all men thinke those learned Rabbies those Priests with all the Apostles daily converted in Jerusalem when their doctrine was so crowned with so many miracles If the holy Scripture should never have delivered it unto the world that they converted innumerable companies yet common reason would perswade every man that they must needs have converted many thousands by the Ministry of them all but when the Scripture relateth unto us Matt. 3. and Marke the 1. and in many other places that all Ierusalem went out to the Baptisme of John and that they were baptized by him in Iordan and were made good Christians and when it farther also recordeth that there were three thousand converted at one Sermon and Miracle and saith in the same chapter that the Lord added daily unto the Church such as should be saved and when in the fourth chapter it relateth the conversion of five thousand men more and in the fifth chapter saith that more multitudes both of beleevers of men and women were added to the Lord and when in the sixth chapter it saith that the word of God increased and that the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith all these places witnesse unto the world that they came into the Church in such great bodies as they could not now bee told for when they came in by by three thousand at a time and five thousand they could speedily be reckoned but when the increase grew so great they were forced then to set them downe as it were by whole sale not in enumerate parcels and spake of them as of numberlesse companies saying multitudes of beleevers both of men and women that is to say mighty congregations and great assemblies of both sexes in such abundance came in as they could not be told and as if this had not beene enough the holy Scripture speakes upon all occasions of the increase of the Word and sets downe in generall termes that the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were also obedient to the faith and as if this had not beene sufficient in many other places of the Acts there is mention made of the increase of Beleevers and in expresse words in the 21. of the Acts it is said that there were many ten thousands of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem now all men know that all these could not possibly no not a quarter of them meet in any one place or a few to communicate in all Ordinances to edification neither was there any place or roome spacious enough to containe the very bodies of the tenth part of them and if any place could have held the tenth part of them yet then it had beene impossible that they could then have partaken in all acts of worship to edification for they could not have heard the voice of their Ministers preaching unto them for by daily experience wee see it that in one of our Churches here in London which will not nor cannot hold halfe ten thousand that halfe of them ordinarily cannot well heare the voice of the Minister though hee have a strong paire of Lungs yea I heare men daily complaine that they could not understand the Minister preaching they stood so farre off from him when notwithstanding there were not three thousand then in the Church yea and I my self have been in lesse Assemblies where all the people could not heare to edification and therefore all reason will perswade any man that is not resolved ever to resist the truth that there must of necessity be many congregations of Beleevers in Ierusalem where there were such infinite multitudes especially they are bound to beleeve it when the Scripture in so many places as I have quoted saith there were many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in that Church which I have at this time briefly related that if be possible I might at last satisfie Sir I. S. and perswade him to beleeve the Scripture and be satisfied with it if hee will not beleeve mee or be satisfied with any thing I can say to convince him of his error But if all I have hitherto writ will not satisfie his tender conscience and take his scruples out of his mind I shall now before I conclude this point for a Corallary desire him to heare what my brother Burton Saint Hanserdo two faithfull brethren of his society have writ concerning this busines It may be I. S. upon the testimony of two such approved witnesses and great Masters of the Assembly of the congregationall way will be perswaded that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem though he would not be satisfied with any thing I have delivered I cannot but often make mention of my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo because all the Ill-dependents judge them to bee very honest men and suppose that they will speake the truth and I beleeve also that Sir I. S. hath a very venerable opinion of them both for their singular wisdome and erudition I intreat I. S. therefore in the first place to heare my brother Burton sapientum octavum it may be his words may satisfie his scrupulous and tender conscience who in the ninth page of his wise booke sayes that the beleevers in Ierusalem when there were but three thousand of them and five thousand at most were constrained to sever themselves into divers companies in severall private hou es to communicate Saint Hanserdoes words are these page 10. 11. The Apostles and all the Beleevers in Ierusalem met together in one place to wit the Temple and in Solomons Porch and brake bread from house to house Thus they both declare their faith and opinion cencerning the number and assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that in the infancy of it Now then when there were but about three thousand and six score soules at the first and five thousand in all at last according to the computation of my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo they were then forced into many congregations and companies as having no convenient place spacious enough as wherein to break bread so that they were forced to heare the Word in the Temple that is one place and in Solomons Porch that is another place and to communicate in severall private houses according to my brother Burtons doctrin and to break bread from house to house or house by house and that dayly or day by day according to Saint Hanserdoes learning that is in innumerable places I say when by the testimony of these two Seraphicall Doctors it is evident that in the very infancy and childhood of that Church There were many Asse blies and Congregations and that in severall private houses or from house to house how many congregations and assemblies of beleevers
in so doing under reformation be it spoke I say they assume unto themselves a greater authority then beseems them for they can make the Apostles joynt governing of one congregation for so they take it pro confesso that the church of Ierusalem was but one congregation to bee a patterne of many Ministers governing one congregation but whereas it is most evident that the Church of Ierusalem consisted of many congregations and were yet under but one Presbytery and was governed by the joynt consent of the Apostles and Presbyters as under a grand Common-presbytery this at pleasure they reject and make it no way exemplary and binding But for a further answer I assert that the Apostles power and authority over many assemblies as one Church to rule and governe them all as one Church joyntly and in common was not grownded upon their power over all Churches but upon the union of those Assemblies and Congregations into one Church which union layeth a foundation for the power of presbyters ruling and governing many Congregations and the Apostles practice in governing many Assemblies joyntly as one Church is the patterne and example of that government to all succeeding ages and this president of the Apostles the presbyters in all churches ought to set before their eyes in all reformation for what the Apostles did in the publicke affaires of government they did as presbyters and for imitation Neither doe our Brethren onely grant the act of ministeriall power to be the same in the Apostles and presbyters saving in the extent but they acknowledge also that they were called presbyters vertually as I said before and that the Apostles acted in a joynt body and by common consent and affirme that it was fit that they should so doe and say withall that the Apostles wherever they came left the presbyters and people to the exercise of that right which belonged to them although they joyned with them These are their formall expressions out of which their concession my argument yea the whole Syllogisme is not onely confirmed and strengthened but the truth doth more evidently shine forth for if the Apostles left the presbyters and people to the exercise of that right which belonged unto them in all churches and the presbyters right be to rule as Ecclesiasticall Magistrates as to whom the power of the Keyes peculiarly belongeth by Gods institution and the right of the people in all churches bee to obey as they are every where commanded then it followeth necessarily that it doth not belong unto the people to ordaine either Deacons or Presbyters whatsoever they may doe in the choosing of them nor to excommunicate or cast out any out of the Church or to make Members whom they please nor to rule and governe the Church which is the peculiar right of the Presbyters left unto them by Christ and his Apostles for none of all these things were ever left unto the people neither is there any President of it in holy Scripture so that while the brethren seeme to contend for the liberty of the people they plainly overthrow it for they grant That the Apostles left the Presbyters and people to the exercise of that right that belonged unto them in all Churches the right therefore of the keyes of Government and Jurisdiction belongeth properly unto the Presbyters in every Church who are the Officers and Magistrates appointed by God himselfe for that purpose Acts 20. ver 28. and therefore when the Apostles writ to the Church of Corinth to excommunicate that incestuous person although his Epistle be not directed to the whole Church yet the Presbyters in that Church onely executed that act of Government which of right belonged unto them though the people also assented unto it even as we see dayly and experience teacheth us in all well ordered Corporations when the King or Counsell writes unto any City or Corporation though their mandates be directed to the whole City or Corporation for the raising either of men or moneyes or about any other imployment of publike concernment the Mayors Aldermen and Common Councell and the Officers under them onely manage the businesse for that is their right and place and the people under them do yeeld obedience and submit themselvesto what they order and command and intermeddle not in that imployment as knowing very well it is their right and place onely to obey And even so it was in the Church of Corinth the Presbyters onely exercised the Government and ordered all according to the Apostles injunction and the people assented unto it and submitted themselves to their order and the mistaking of that place and many more hath been the cause of so much confusion in the Church at this time when not onely the men in every Assembly but the very women in many of the new Congregations as Members challenge a power and right both in the electing of Church Officers and of admitting of Members and of casting out and excommunicating which before these our times was never heard of in the world when as the right of Jurisdiction and of the Keyes as I have often proved peculiarly belongeth unto the Presbyters and that the people neither men nor women ought to intermeddle with it for if they should in short time it would overthrow all Government in Church and State and bring confusion into the world But I conceive the cause of so grosse a mistake of that place concerning the excommunicating of the incestuous person arose from this that they look upon the Church of Corinth and the other Churches spoken of in the New Testament not as Corporations as they were indeed but as on their now sucking Independent new Congregations and Assemblies consisting of twenty or thirty Members such as many of those be whereas those severall Churches are to be considered under another notion as consisting of many Congregations as that of the Church of Ierusalem united into one Church or body in the severall Corporations and each of them governed by a Common Councell of Presbyters and by the joynt consent of their severall Presbyteries all these severall congregations making but one Church though never so much dayly increased and keeping still the name and denomination of such a Church either from the place City Country or Nation or severall language as the Church of the Jewes the Greeke Church the Latine Church or from the Cities as the Church of Ierusalem of Ephesus Rome c. All the which though they consisted of never so many Congregations and Assemblies yet they ever kept the name of unity were accounted but one Church in their severall places and Precincts as at this day the Church of Geneva though it consist of many Congregations is counted but one Church as it is so that I say the conceiving of the Church of Corinth and those seven Churches in Asia under the notion of one of their Congregations caused through this mistake that great confusion that is now in the Church and was the originall
and Presbyters may any man suppose if they had been admiâ—ted into that Synod and should then and there have heard them dispute against the ceremoniall law condemning it as a burden too heavy for them and to be such as neither they nor their fathers could bear and therefore decreed that it should not be imposed upon the beleeving Gentiles I say it stands with all good reason if the weak believers in Ierusalem which were many ten thousands should have heard these disputes it would have put them all in such a heate and rage as they would have set the whole Citie in an uproar to the hazarding of the lives of both the Apostles and Presbyters there and all such as should have sided with them and so much the more it would have incensed them against the Apostles and Presbyters because they granted greater Priviledges to the Gentiles and gave them an immunity from the observation of the Ceremoniall Law which the Iewes still observed and strictly kept so that many of the Iews going from Iudaea wheresoever they came urged the observation of the ceremoniall Law amongst the Gentiles also as necessary to salvation now I say if these Zealots of the Law had all both men and women how many soever can bee made of them to use Master Knollys expression beene present as hee groundlessely affirmes and should have heard these disputes they would have beene so farre from voting with the Apostles and Elders and saying it seemed good unto the Holy Ghost and us as they would have voted the contrary and for this that I say it is evident from the Holy Scripture for in the one and twentieth chapter of the Acts it is said that they would have staine Paul for this their jealousie onely that he preached and taught the Gentiles against the Ceremoniall Law which they would never have beene offended with him for if the Brethren in Ierusalem those beleeving Iewes the multitude even the whole Church how many soever the Doctor can make of them as master Knollys saith had then had their voice in the Councell and Synod at Ierusalem and had assented and voted against the ceremoniall Law and for the abrogation of it as Master Knollys against all reason saith they did for then they would never have beene displeased with Paul for instructing the Gentiles and all people in their christian liberty and for teaching them that they were freed from the Ceremoniall Law for that Councell and Synod made those Decrees for the benefit of the Gentiles but they would rather have beene offended with Paul if they had heard that he yet urged the observation of it amongst the Gentiles if they with the Apostles and Presbyters had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one unanimous consent and agreement had by searching the holy Scripture found out what was the good and acceptable will of God and from thence had decreed the abolishing of the Ceremoniall Law I say if all the beleevers in Ierusalem the whole Church and multitude as many as can be made of them as Master Knollys affirms had been present in the Synod with the Apostles and Presbyters and should have voted with them it seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us to abrogate the Ceremoniall Law and to free the Gentiles from it they could not then have been displeased with Saint Paul for observing their Order and Decrees and for obeying their injunctions but when they were displeased with him for but hearing he taught the Gentiles against the Law of Moses and the Temple it is apparently evident that by brethren spake of in the text by the whole church the multitude cannot be understood all the beleevers in Jerusalem how many so ever could be made of them as he grollishly asserteth could they have all possibly met together in one place for then they themselves should be transgressors of their own Decrees and be offended with others for observing what they themselves had commanded which is a sin and therefore by brethren there First all sisters are excluded for they are not numbred amongst them and so then not all the beleevers for sisters also are beleevers and of the multitude and Secondly all those zelots spake of in the 21 chapter had no vote in that Synod and were not present there for they were enemies to Saint Paul for Preaching according to those Decrees made and Voted there so that Mr Knollys in time may come to see his Error and by brethren there and the multitude and the whole Church may very well understand that they were such as Judas and Sylas were viz. Prophets and chosen men and assistants to the Apostles members of the Church in Jerusalem of which they had store for many of the Priests were converted and were members there though not fixt Officers and Presbyters and Elders as the other were who Synecdochically were called the Church a part being understood for the whole which is usuall in the holy Scripture and to these may be added all the Presbyters that came out of all the Churches of Iudaea from among whom those false teachers were gone and had taught among the Gentiles the observation of the Ceremoniall Law as necessary to Salvation which was a cause of their meeting together and with these also may be reckoned those that came with Paul and Barnabas to that councell from the Church of Antioch which were the brethren spoken of as the Text doth sufficiently declare so that to all men that read but the 15 chapter of the Acts with judgement they will soon be satisfied That by brethren and the whole Church and the multitude there spoken of are to be understood some chosen men men of eminency for all divine knowledge Prophets who disputed and argued the businesses there and debated the matter by reason such as Iudas and Sylas were for so the Scripture speaketh and not the people men and women the whole Church the multitude how many so ever the Doctor can make of them as Master Knollys and those of his fraternity dayly though falsely assert and upon this false ground and rotten foundation laid in their own brain would erect and build their new confused Babel of Independency admitting all people both men and women not onely to Votes in their new Congregations but also in Councells and Synods and free them from all dependency upon other Churches which tends to nothing else but to the bringing in of a confusion in Church and State and to meer Anarchy and therefore from all that I have now said these two conclusions will evidently insue and plainly arise First That all the Apostles and Presbyters were all equally Depending upon God and his Word and that all the Churches we read of in the New Testament were all likewise Dependent one upon another and upon their severall Presbyteries Secondly That the people neither brethren nor sisters in those dayes were to have their Votes or suffrage in the Government of the Churches and admission of members
run in the name of the brethren 1 the Church as well as the Apostles and Elders these are his words And for confirmation of this his opinion that the Apostles and Elders were but a Committee and onely prepared the busines and then reported it and could not without the assistance and concurrence of the brethren have ratified the Decrees made in that Councell hee in the same page produceth his reasons for this his fond conceit saying that Paul and Barnabas were sent unto the Church and brethren as well as to the Apostles and Elders for they were received of the Church withall saith hee the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord verse 25. imports a multitude met together and this to bee the result of that multitude else it were no great commendation of the resolution that it was convened about and issued forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in verse 22. it is said that it pleased not onely the Apostles and Elders but the whole church also therefore the Church also came together to consult or the Apostles and Elders as a Committee first prepared the dispute c. Thus worshipfull I. S. sayes and un-sayes determines and concludes and then goes from his resolution againe affirming that Paul and Barnabas were sent unto the Church also and that the multitude was with one accord together or else it had beene no great commendation of the resolution and he asserteth that the whole Church came together to consult and yet in the same breath as if hee had forgot himselfe hee comes in with his perhaps as a man doubting and wavering in his opinion and altogether in uncertainties saying that perhaps the Apostles did not count it safe to admit the weake to the dispute while it was intricate so that here all men may see that hee makes it suspicious and doubtfull whether the brethren the multitude the whole Church were present there or not and that for a double reason both in respect of the Apostles discretion and wisedome as also in regard of the weaknesse of the Brethren saying that the Apostles and Elders were but as a Committee to prepare the dispute and after reported it for the churches assistance and concurrence and so hee learnedly concludes and determines by all this his babble that they were all there and they were not there where can any man find this creature and what man of understanding is hee that shall behold the levity vanity rashnesse and ignorance of this fellow to say no more that would not conclude that hee is a meere Catechumenos and that one had need to instruct him instead of confuting him for as much as it may seeme to any man unmeet that a man should be polemically exercised before hee be positively principled these are I. S. his wise expressions concerning mee in his 16. page which whether or no they may not fitly be applyed to himselfe I leave to the judgement of the wise and learned who whiles hee will bee a Teacher of the Law according to that of Saint Paul 1 Tim. chap. 1. verse 7. understands not neither what he sayes nor whereof he affirmes I am most assured there scarce ever in the world appeared upon the Theater of learning a more unlearned payr of wicked triflers then this I. S. and Hanserdo Knollys But it will not be amisse to consider the reasons of I. S. by which hee laboureth to prove that which hee himselfe had first positively set downe to be a truth to wit that all the brethren the multitude and the whole Church were together in the Synod and yet he after doubteth whether they were present there or no I say it will not be amisse to consider the reasons by which hee affirmes these two things the first that all the whole Church were present in the Synod the second that they all had their vote and concurrence without which there had beene no great commendation of the resolution of the Councell as hee prattles and without which the Decrees of the same had not beene ratified his first reason is this because saith he Paul and Barnabas were received of the Church Ergo they were sent unto the Church as well as to the Apostles and Elders as if one should thus conclude the Embassadours of France and Swede were sent unto the King and Parliament and the Citie of London entertained them Ergo they were as well sent unto the Citie of London as to the King and Parliament againe the Citie of London assented unto whatsoever the King and Parliament accorded unto to gratifie those Embassadours after they had made them acquainted with what they had done Ergo all the Citie and the whole multitude of Citizens had not onely their votes and concurrence in those great businesses and were Iudges also in the Parliament but they were altogether in the great Councell and that the Parliament could have ratified nothing without them would not all men that should heare any man thus argue gather that that man that should make such inferences from such premises and should so conclude that hee were crased in his braine or else a very Ninny and void of all reason And yet this is the manner of I. S. and Hanserdoes disputing and which is more to shew the vanity of this man he understands by the brethren the multitude and the whole Church agreeing and according with Hanserdo in this sottish opinion who holds that by brethren the multitude and the whole Church all the beleevers in Jerusalem both men women and children are to be understood and that they all had their Votes in that counsell and ratified the Decrees without the which they had not been valid whereas it is most certain as I shewed before in my Answer to Hanserdo that there was not only an impossibility that such multitudes of beleevers as were in Ierusalem should all meet in any one place but that by multitude there and the whole Church must necessarily be understood some choice and select men such as Iudas and Sylas were who are called Prophets and Ministers of the Gospell of which the Church of Ierusalem was furnished with good store and of which that great councell onely consisted and who debated and argued con and pro about the businesse in controversie which is manifest from the seventh verse where it is said when there had been much disputing Peter rose up c. and in the 12. verse for farther confirmation of this truth it is related that then all the multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul c. And that Iames after they had held their peace gave in his judgement to which the whole multitude and Church assented so that out of all these words it necessarily and undeniably followeth that by the brethren there the multitude and the whole Church are to be vnderstood not the common people men and women in the Church of Ierusalem For it is said they were brethren and therefore all the sisters
were excluded who were not at any time permitted to vote in churches 1 Cor. 14. And therefore the whole multitude of beleevers were not there for women were part of the multitude neither were the weak brethren to be admitted to doubtfull Disputations by a speciall command from the Apostle Paul Rom. 14. v. 1. and this is accorded to by the wise I. S. that confident disputant who saith that the Apostles and Elders as a Committee first prepared the dispute and after reported it not counting it safe to admit the weak to the same whiles it was intricate so that from Saint Pauls Doctrine there were neither women nor weak brethen there and from I. S. his own concession the weak were not admitted all the time of the dispute and therefore the whole multitude of beleevers that were in Ierusalem were not in the Councell by all which it is apparently evident That by brethren and church and multitude there the whole company of Beleevers in Ierusalem cannot be understood and therefore by Brethren Multitude and the whole Church we are necessarily to understand the learned and godly Prophets Ministers and Members of that church chiefe and eminent ones such as Judas and Sylas were and with them are to be joyned the other Presbyters that came out of all the Churches of Iudea with those that came with Paul and Barnabas from Antioch which being all confidered together made up a great number and multitude all the which are called the Church v. 3. the Scripture there speaking Synecdochically and taking a part for the whole I say of all such as these are did that Synod consist and not of all sorts of believers w ch were not members fit for a Synod and Councell which was to be managed and ordered and consist of such men only as had received the Keys and upon whom the government of the Church was laid which was never committed to the people much lesse to women therfore I say in all these respects by the Brethren and Multitude and the whole Church we are to understand it Synecdochically as before for all those that were in the councell which were but a part of the whole for the eminent Ministers and Prophets that were Commissioners there and assistants to the Apostles and Eldâ—rs he which yet is more evidenâ— from this reason That they onely could bee Iudges and Voters in that Synod which had heard the whole debate and the full dispute on both sides for none can be Iudges in any cause to give righteous judgement that have not fully heard the allegations and probations on both sides which I. S. acknowledgeth the weak neither heard nor could judge of because they were intricate ergo they could not be Iudges nor give their voices there upon no terms for they could not be Judges of things they had not fully understandingly heard now the weake neither heard neither could they have understood if they had heard both which I. S. accordeth to and therefore by multitude and the whole Church the weak brethren cannot be meant much lesse the sisters and if men would but with deliberation weigh and consider of things as they ought to be pondered and considered of very reason without the warrant of holy Scripture would perswade every rational and wel grounded christian that none could or can be Iudges in any cause but such as have heard the pleading of the whole busines and controversie from the beginning to the ending which none but the apostles presbyters and the Commissioners and such as Sylas and Iudas and Barnabas were did for the Scripture saith verse 6. that the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter and when there had beene much disputing c. out of which words wee may gather that none but they that managed the disputation and heard the whole debate were or could be Iudges which all the people neither did nor possibly could doe neither may we conceive of the Councell of Ierusalem that they had any raw headed boyes or giddy braind creatures or Minors in it or any such as were ever running out and in for wee may not imagine that that great Councell was like a pigion house where they are continually fluttering out and fluttering in for that Councell consisted of such men onely as were holy grave and approved all Prophets such as Sylas Iudas and Barnabas were such as for gravity and experience were thought fit companions to sit with the Apostles and Elders in consultation so that it is apparently evident that Councell consisted of none but venerable pretious godly and staid men of whom wee can not by the Law of charity thinke that they did the worke of the Lord in that Synod negligently or to the halves or that they did not all sit close and diligently to the worke from the beginning of the Session to the conclusion of the same and therefore that as they met altogether at a set houre or time so that they continued and kept together in consultation and dispute as long as any other sate and till they in their wisedome by their joynt consents and agreements thought fit to sit to the full determination of the whole busines and till the Decrees were made were it fewer or more dayes or weekes and although it be not recorded how long the Councell continued yet wee reade no where in the 15. chapter but that they sate altogether in judgement the Apostles and Elders and Commissioners till they had heard the whole debate and diâ—pute and none but they This truth may be gathered not only from the holy Scripture and from that I have formerly spake but from I. S. his owne words above specified viz that there were neither weake brethren nor the sisters and therefore it is a great wickednesse in I. S. from such uncertainties as hee goes upon to raise and make such conclusions as he doth which tend to no other end but for the taking away all the authority and power from the Apostles themselves which God notwithstanding had invested them with and to put it into the hands of the people which they had nothing to doe with for as his words declare hee accounteth the Apostles and Elders but a Committee onely to prepare the dispute and then to report it that they might have the assistance and concurrence of the people without the which as hee affirmeth there were no great commendation of the resolution that is to say if the people had not assented unto the Decrees they had beene of no effect which if it be not wholly to devest the Apostles of all power and authority and lay it and place it upon the people I leave it to the judgement of the learned then the which there cannot be a greater sacriledge and injustice perpetrated against Ministers and servants of God in the world by any and as this dealing and proceeding of I. S. is most injurious to the Apostles so this his doctrine is contrary to all divine
esteemed of to be godly as walking unblameably being also diligent hearers of the word before they knew them yet after their acquaintance with them being first by their meanes seduced from our Churches after some time they fell from their congregations also into wicked and desperate opinions and in a short time after became so prophane and beastly yea so atheisticall as it would exceed ordinary beliefe to relate and truly if I had not very good witnesse to prove what I say besides my owne knowledge and experience I would not have mentioned it but because if occasion serves I shall be able to produce many Presidents of fearefull Apostasies even amongst those that were their Schollers and the Disciples of the Independent way I am the willinger to speake of it that I might arme all men with some caution in reading their Pamphlets which they write against the Presbyterians for they never deale candidly neither with them nor with their own brethren for first they either wholly disswade them from reading our bookes or else by their emissaries and rayling Libels they most shamefully vilifie and belye them so that they come prejudicated to them and then they send their owne putrid and corrupt scriblings amongst those of their Fraternity whom they miserably cozen and abuse with their fraudulent jugglings and that against all the Lawes of piety and common honesty to the disturbance both of Church and State This I thought fit I say to speake before I come to my second question and severall Queries arising from it concerning the gathering of Churches and their answers unto them wherein they rather trifle then dispute as will by and by appeare I shall therefore in my replying unto them first set downe the question fully with all my queries and then answer to all the materials of their fond cavils and evasions with their silly responsals to them and after I have done that I will set downe Gods method and the Apostles practise in the gathering of Churches with the manner of their admitting of Members and then reply to whatsoever they have to say against my Arguments and Reasons deduced from holy Scripture and for further confirmation of the truth I will adde many more Presidents and them undeniable ones of the Apostles receiving of Members and that into Churches formed after the New-Testament forme according to their owne description besides those that were received into the Catholike visible Church and all without any of those conditions they now require of their Members and I shall by Gods assistance evidently make it appeare that God by his holy Apostles and Ministers uses but one way of admitting of members into the church whether it be the catholike visible church or any particular presbyterian church whether they be admitted in an ordinary or an extraordinary way I say by thegrace of God I shal clearly elucidate this truth that God useth one and the same method in gathering his people out of all nations into Church fellowship and the communion of the Saints which ought to all Ministers to be a rule to walke by in the receiving in of Members into their Congregations Having thus set downe what order I will proceed in I come now to the second question betweene us and the Brethren which is concerning the manner of gathering of Churches and admitting of Members and Officers viz. Whether Ministers of the Gospel may out of already congregated Assemblies of ` Beleevers select and choose the most principall of them into a Church-fellowship peculiar unto themselves and admit of none into their society but such as shall enter in by a private covenant and are allowed of by the consent and approbation of all the Congregation And this question brancheth it selfe into these severall Queries The first whether for the gathering of Churches there bee either Precept or President in the Holy Word of God that the Preachers and Ministers of the Gospel did ever leave their owne ordinary charges to which they are called and whereto they are fixed with a command not to leave them and under pretence of a new way or a new borne truth or a new light did runne about and alienate the minds of the people well affected formerly to their severall Ministers as of duty they were bound as who had converted them to Christ by their Ministery and fed them still with the sincere milke of the Word and built them up in their most holy Faith I say the first Quere is whether there be precept or example in the Word of God of any true Ministers so doing and whether it was ever heard of in the Apostles and Primitive times that any beleeving Christians were in great numbers congregated from among other beleeving Christians and moulded into severall Congregations and Assemblies as separate and distinct bodies and Churches from them and who had no Church-fellowship with the other Congregations nor communicated with them in the Ordinances but were independent from them and absolute among themselves and whether this way of gathering of Churches was ever heard of before these dayes and whether this be to set Christ upon his Throne to make divisions and schismes in Churches and among Beleevers and brethren and that upon groundlesse pretences The second Quere is whether for the making of any man or woman a Member of the Church it be requisite or necessary to the beleeving and being baptized that they should walke some dayes weeks moneths perhaps yeares with them that they may have experience of their conversation before they can be admitted and after that a confession of their faith should be publikely made before the Congregation and the evidences of their conversion as the time when the place where the occasion how they were converted should likewise openly be produced for satisfaction to the Church before they can be admitted to be Members and if any either men or women shall except against their evidence that then they are not to be admitted this is the second Quere The third is whether for making any man or woman a Member or an Officer of a Church the consent of the whole Congregation or the greater part of them besides the Presbyters and Ministers be requisite The fourth Quere is whether for the admission of any one into Church-fellowship and Communion a private solemne Covenant be requisite or necessary for the making of any one a Member the neglect or refusall of the which makes them incapable of their Member-ship and admission There is no question betweene us and the brethren about a publike covenant for we have Presidents of that in holy Scripture in all publike reformations The fifth Quere is whether the women and people as well as the Presbyters and Ministers have the power of the Keyes and whether the women have all their voices in the Church both for election and reprobation of Members and officers as well as the men and whether the consent of all the women or the greatest part of them bee requisite for
well see and that without spectacles that by these stones he hurls at all his brethren and casts up dust yea dirt thus in their faces to usurp his own expression pa. 13. that he shews his want of love and charity to us comparing our congregations and Churches at every turn to the Popish and Jewish Synagogues and esteeming of the gathering out of people from amongst us to be the same with gathering men and women from out of their Idolatricall and Jewish Assemblies for why otherwise if this be not his meaning doth he bring his instances from both the Papists and the Jews at every turn and therefore for his so dealing in the first place I answer that he is very injurious to his Brethren and must seriously repent for this uncharitable dealing But secondly I answer that my brother Burton is much mistaken for the Apostles did not gather Christian Churches out of the Jewish Synagogues as we may see in the second of Iames and through the whole story of the Acts where we finde that the Apostles in all their peregrinations ever frequented the Synagogues and preached unto them there and our Saviour himselfe notwithstanding all the scandalls in that Church and all their traditions preached daily in the Temple and in their Synagogues as the Scripture relates yea and the Apostles themselves after Christs resurrection preached dayly in the Temple and in all Synagogues whersoever they journyed yea Christ himselfe commanded all his followers the whole multitude with his own Disciples and Apostles to hear the Pharisees Matth. 23. ver 1 2. And without doubt they did obey their Master and made no separation from the Synagogues and S Paul in the 10. to the Hebrews blameth those that did leave the assembling of themselves together therefore he did not allow of a separation from the Synagogues and from Christian Assemblies and moulding themselves into separate Congregations under a pretence of a more refined holinesse and pure partaking in the ordinances which is the pretence of all straglers all such proceedings were contrary both to the precept example of Christ and his Apostles who taught and practiced the contrary Christ commanding the man out of whom he had cast the devills and that would have followed him that he should go to his own friends and abide amongst them still and he ever sent all those lepers he cured to the Priests he never gathered Churches out of the Jewish churches neither did ever any of the Apostles or godly Ministers do any such thing but blamed it in all and therefore the Independents going against both precept and example are highly disobedient to God and have for these their wicked and ungodly practises a great deal to repent of and to answer for And if we will compare times with times we may beleeve it was amongst the Jews as it was amongst us under the Prelates raign and power those godly and powerfull Ministers such as my reverend Tutor Master Richard Rogers Mr John Rogers of Dedham and Mr Dod and others when they sometimes went to visit their friends through City and Country by their preaching they gained many Souls unto God in many Towns and Villages where after they had through the blessing of God upon their Ministery converted them they left them still abiding in their severall Parishes injoyning them diligently and carefully to wait upon their Ministers there disswading them from separation upon all occasions and so it was amongst the Jews they came out to the Ministry and Baptisme of Iohn and heard him upon every opportunity but never left their own Synagogues and their own Ministers as the Scripture relateth when they returned to their severall abodes and so they went out to hear Christ and his Disciples as occasion served and then returned home again to wait upon the ordinances in their severall dwelling places and they had Christs command to do this neither is it ever recorded in all the New Testament but in the tenth chapter to the Hebrews that the Christians relinquished the Jewish Assemblies for which they are greatly blamed by Saint Paul And I am confident if all the Independents doe not seriously repent of their wicked and pharisaicall separation from our Assemblies the Lord will shew at last some fearfull judgment upon them For I affirme it they have not one president for all these their practices in the whole Book of God and therefore my brother Burtons instance of the Apostles gathering of Christian churches from out of the Jewish Synagogues as it is in all respects unchristianlyand and deceitfully done to delude his fellows so it is not true that he averreth For the Apostles did never gather Christian Churches out of the Iewish Synagogues for they had a command from Christ to the contrary neither was there any cause for any Christians to separate from them for they exercised at that time nothing but the Morall Worship in their Synagogues having Moses and the Prophets dayly read and interpreted unto them Acts 15. 21. and to those Synagogues that unerring Councell at Jerusalem consisting of all the Apostles and Presbyters Act. 15. did send all the people and their severall cities to be instructed in Moses therefore the Apostles and Ministers of those times never gathered Christian Churches out of the Jewish Synagogues as my brother Burton would infer to make good their wicked separations from us and their gathering of their Churches out of our Christian and beleeving Assemblies which I am ever by Gods assistance able to make good is nothing to the question that I propounded concerning the gathering of Churches out of already gathered Churches And therefore hitherto my brother Burton hath befooled himself to no purpose but to discover unto the World how little skill he hath in Divinity when he is out of a common place wherein every child may learn as much and far more then he can teach him And this answer to my brother Burton concerning gathering of Christian Churches out of Iewish Synagogues for the justifying of their unwarrantable separation may serve to the same objection wheresoever the Reader shall meet with it as Page 18 c. And this might suffice to have answered to what my brother Burton had to say to the first Quaerie concerning gathering Churches out of Churches But because my Brother Burton conceives that if they should not separate themselves from our Christian Assemblies whom he saith do not come up close to the rule into their several new gathered Congregations they could not set up Christ upon his Throne as not making his word the rule of reformation or a sufficient rule upon which we must necessarily depend for the form and law of Reformation and that we ought not to wait on men and thereupon propoundeth a quaerie to me Page 19. thinking by this means the better to justifie their unwarrantable proceedings therefore I shall first gratifie my brothers desire and answer to his demand and then I will passe on to reply to what
to obey now when these of the congregationall way have neither precept nor president for these their proceedings in their admission of Members it is but a vaine tradition of their owne braine and ought by all Christs true Disciples to be abhorred and abominated But whereas my brother Burton saith that they that are to walk together should first be agreed together and cites these words out of third of Amos ver 3. Can two walke together except they be agreed To this I thus Reply First that if the Independents were Gods and all the Presbyterians went on in wicked and sinfull courses then this question of his had been to the purpose but when it is certain that the Illdependents are sinners as well as the other Sonnes and Daughters of Adam and many of them known to be notoriously scandalous not onely for their damnable and hereticall opinions and schismaticall doctrines but for their lying rayling hypocrisie pride covetousnesse c. and all of them guilty of the sin of seducing and misleading the poor people I say in all these regards I see no reason why there should be any necessity layd upon Gods heritage and people to be acquainted with them and their ways except it be that all such as fear God and will walk in his pathes by knowing of them may shun them and their by-wayes which they are bound to do both from precept Prov. 4. v. 14 15. Ps 1. v. 1. and from the example of our Saviour Ioh. 2. ver 24. where it is said that Iesus did not commit himselfe unto them because he knew them And so all good people and such as truly fear God should make use of their knowledge to shun such seducers and deceivers and to decline all their by-wayes But secondly I answer that God hath no where injoyned or required that those that either are to be made Christians or to be admitted into Church fellowship should either know the faces of all the Members of the congregation or should be particularly acquainted with the whole church that he is to be admitted a Member of For we have no warrant for such practice in the whole Scripture neither is there any example of it from one end of the Bible to the other and therefore it is meer Will-Worship and a serving of God after the commandments of men which is so often condemned in holy Scripture as Isaiah 29. Matth. 15. Mark 7. Coloss 2. and therfore ought to be abhorred as an intolerable yoke of bondage which neither we nor our forefathers could bear Acts 15. Whereas Christs yoke is easie and light and they that take his yoke vpon them finde rest unto their soules Matth. 11. ver 28 29 30. who saith unto his people Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest He doth not say If you will come to me and be admitted into church fellowship you must first walk sometime with my people and be acquainted with them I say Christ the King of his church hath given no such command either to those that are to be admitted or to his Ministers and stewards of his house which is his church of any such practice Thirdly I answer that as there is an impossibility almost for any man or woman to be acquainted with a whole Church so it is neither necessary nor usefull For that knowledge that is required as necessary to salvation and for the making of any fit to be church Members consists in these things that they repent and beleeve and be baptized and that they should know the onely true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ John 17. And this is the first thing absolutely necessary to salvation which is required of all such as will be Christs Disciples The second thing is the knowledge of our selves which consists in self-denyall and regeneration For if any will be Christs Disciples they must deny themselves and take up his crosse dayly For so saith Christ our King Matth. 16. Luke 9. And again John 3. ver 3. Christ speaking unto Nicodemus saith to him and in him to all men Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of God ver 5. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God He must be a new creature saith he And this is the knowledge that Christ the King of his church requires as necessary for their salvation so for their admission into church fellowship and he that has these qualifications has as much as Christ requires and there is no need of any particular or familiar acquaintance with all those of the congregation or with the whole church or that they should walk some time with them therefore it is wickedly done in all those of the congregational way to impose laws of their own making upon the people of God their brethren who are a free people and therefore they that desire to serve their King Christ Jesus and to hear and obey his voice only ought to detest all these false teachers that would so inthrall them especially they ought to abominate their practices because they make these their traditions Gods Ordinances But whereas my brother Burton saith that abundans cautela non nocet and that they look not so much at circumstances in conversion as the substance I affirme it is a most arrogant expression in any so to speak for in his thus speaking he makes as if it were in the power of poor mortall creatures to search mens hearts and judge of the secrets of the same which is onely Gods peculiar but that is not all but in this his expression there is a high strain of confidence in the man that he will seem to be wiser then Christ himselfe that was the King and Lawgiver of his Church and the mighty Councellour and yet he gave no precept for this abundans cautela and yet it is most certain that he revealed the whole will of his Father and his Disciples also delivered unto the church the whole counsell of God Act. 21. And yet neither Christ nor his Apostles did ever deliver this doctrine of walking with the church sometime nor never spake of this abundans cautela therefore I gather it is neither part of the will or councell of God that they injoyn this walking upon his people therefore all the true subjects of Jesus Christ and all his leige people ought to abominate and abhorre all such usurpers as my Brother Burton and his complices are that trample down the Laws of Christ our King and impose their own inventions and traditions upon his people for Christs Ordinances and Statutes And this shall suffice to have spak to what my brother Burton had to say to my second Quâ—rie To the third quaerie concerning the consent of the people and congregation my brother Burton replyes that it is answered before which was no answer to that quaerie But now learned I. S. comes in and Page 18.
principalest and the choicest ones to my knowledge the women had their voices both for the receiving in of members and for the casting of them out upon any scandal so that there were none admitted either men or women though of never so great rank and quality without the leave and good liking of the women so that if at any time they opposed the entrance of any though it were but upon meer jealousies that they were not godly they could not be admitted members of those Congregations But it seems they are now ashamed of this their practice and therefore plead ignorance in the businesse But that the world may see I write nothing in my first Book concerning womens voting of it in Churches I shall recite some two or three stories omitting many to prove their practices in those dayes And what I shall relate and much more I undertake to prove by sufficient witnesses whensoever the Independents shall put me upon it And withall I shall make it appear there was never greater juggling then hath been amongst those of the Congregational-way in admitting of members The stories briefly are these A Gentlewoman of my acquaintance coming up to London since these New Lights broke out was so infatuated with them that shee had a great desire to joyne her selfe to one of the prime Churches of the congregationall way concerning the which Gentlewoman I can say thus much upon my owne experience and it can be proved by many that whatsoever shee is now before shee became an Independent she was a woman not onely of an emaculate life and conversation but a woman of singular piety and charity towards all to her ability and who ordinarily twice or thrice a week was wont to set dayes apart in private to seeke God and to humble her selfe by fasting and prayer and this was her constant course of life Yet this woman assaying to joyne her selfe unto these new disciples and being to make the confession of her faith before the congregation and to bring in the evidences of her conversion shee not having had many moneths acquaintance with them and having not walked with them above halfe a yeare or there-abouts was forced the better to make the Church understand the worke of grace wrought in her heart to recite unto them her course of life how shee had constantly walked with God and what communion she had with him signifying with all that shee had ever loved the Saints and brethren a sufficient token of conversion and of being one of Christs disciples if either Christs owne testimonie or Saint Iohns may be beleeved Yet when shee had made an end of her confession of her faith and produced her evidences a Wench rose up in the Congregation and profest before them all that shee was not satisfied with her evidences that shee was a beleever for as much as the Pharisees for all outward performances could say as much as shee did or used words to this effect Vpon which the Church could not admit her for the sister was not satisfied So that the Gentlewoman since joyned her selfe to another Congregation An other president is of a young man reputed amongst his neighbours very godly who being much inamoured with the new way of Church-fellowship assayed to joyne himselfe to one of their congregations not that I spake of before and being to make his confession and to bring in his evidences and having to satisfie the Church done as much as they injoyned him to doe two of the women in that Assembly opposed his admission so that without their good liking hee could not be admitted a Member and hee applying himselfe unto their Pastor and to the Elders gave many signes of his true conversion so that they related unto him that for their parts they had nothing to say to him in way of opposition but wisht him to apply himselfe to those sisters telling him that without their consent they could not admit him into Church-fellowship whereupon hee makes his addresses to them and sometimes hee courted them for their favour sometime hee expostulated with them desiring to know their reasons why they were so adverse to him and would not grant their consents demanding of them if they knew any thing by his conversation and they replyed no but they could not beleeve he was godly and sanctified and fit for Church fellowship and whether or no hee was ever admitted in that Congregation I know not but at that time hee could not be admitted and for no other reason that can be given but that the sisters did not give their consents and they could alleage no other ground of their not agreeing to his admission but that they conceived he was not godly The third Storie is of one that was reputed a very honest and godly man amongst all his acquaintance and who had also walked sometime amongst them in one of their new congregations and earnestly desired to be admitted a joyned Member and hee bringing in his evidences and making the confession of his faith satisfactory enough to many of the Church for the proving of himselfe fit for Member-ship a married woman rose up in the congregation and profest before them all she could not beleeve he was fit tobe admitted as a Member of that church and used some triviall reasons for her not assenting to his admssion and for that time hee could not be received into the congregation having not given the good sister plenary satisfaction and whether hee be yet received into church-fellowship I know not but that he was by the woman at that time put off that I shall be able to prove with the other two Stories and be able likewise to produce many such Presidents more Now I referre this to any understanding mans judgement whether the Keyes in many of the new gathered churches be not tyed unto the womens Girdles and whether my Brother Burton and I. S. are alwayes to be credited either in their denials or affirmations And this shall suffice to have spake of the fifth querie And now I come to the sixth and last querie viz. Whether the practising and preaching of all these things c. be to set up Christ as King upon his Throne to the which querie my Brother Burton and I. S. answer as two Jugglers nothing to the purpose My Brother Burtons words are these page 19 Those Churches saith hee that are for matter and forme true Churches and are governed according to Christs Word doe set up Christ as King upon his Throne and for such as are otherwise let them consider whether they doe as they ought set up Christ as King upon his Throne This is my Brother Burtons answer to my sixt querie Now whether this be a direct answer to my querie I leave it to the judgement of the Learned But from this his answer I may boldly conclude that their new congregations doe not set up Christ as King upon his Throne they fayling both for the matter and forme of true churches and
c. and of what even of a Toleration of any Religion but the true Religion and of that Religion Christ hath taught us by what authority soever it comes ratified unto us whether by Ecclesiasticall or civill yea though it bee imposed upon us by the command of Kings and Rulers themselves for saith Christ our Master I charge you all take heed and beware of the leven of the Pharisees and of the leven of Herod Now by leven our Saviour understands all traditions and doctrines of men and injoyns all his Disciples to beware of them and commands them to take heed of them and not to tolerate them amongst them and that this is his good will and pleasure he hath ratified it when hee was in heaven for writing unto the Church of Thyatira Revel 2. verse 20. I have saith hee a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants c. Here Christ hath declared his will and good pleasure and how much he displeased with that Church that shee suffered those false Teachers and Seducers amongst them and that they but connived at them and pronounces fearfull judgements against both that Church and the Church of Pergamos and that of Laodicea for tolerating the Doctrine of Baalam the Nicolaitans and for suffering those luke-warme Christians amongst them so that there is nothing that Christ abhorreth more then a toleration of all Religions but that wee may farther yet know what the good will and pleasure of God is concerning this point let us heare Paul who made knowne the whole counsell of God to his Church Act. 20. Now hee in the 17. of the Acts declareth the will of God touching this matter for after that hee had reproved the Athenians for their superstitions ver 22. and undertaken to teach them the knowledge of the true God who they ignorantly worshipped and the right way of worshipping and serving him and informing them that hee is not worshipped with mens hands that is with any of their inventions and with what way or in what manner they thinke fit God saith hee is not to bee worshipped after any traditions of men but according to his owne appointments and this hee challenges by right from all men as being the absolute Lord of them all for he made them they are saith the Apostle the off-spring of God and his Generation and they live in him and move in him and have their being in him and their breath and life from him yea saith the Apostle hee hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation Now God saith hee hath given you all these things that yee should seeke the Lord that is that ye should worship him as hee is your Lord and King and to whom all honour and service of right is due now then as wee are his off-spring we must not thinke of God after our fantasie and set up such a worship as pleaseth our selves or allow of any kind or way of worshipping God that men please to follow as you superstitiously doe at Athens no saith the Apostle God will be worshipped after his owne way and after his owne appointment and howsoever God winked at the times of this ignorance yet now hee commands all men every where to repent that is to set up the true Religion and to worship him after one way for saith hee all the nations are now to set up one way of worship and if they will not obey this Lord of the whole world and imbrace that one and onely true Religion that I teach and preach unto you then I tell you plainely that as God hath appointed a day wherein hee will judge the world in righteousnesse by Christ Iesus if you will not set up his true worship and the true Religion and the right way of serving him but will tolerate all manner of Religions amongst you still as formerly you have done and give liberty to every man to serve God after his owne will and pleasure and not according to this good will and pleasure of God you shall be eternally damned for this is the meaning of the Apostle so that the will of God must be our rule for worship and not Poland and Transsylvania the will of God saith the Apostle must be that wee must follow in worshipping and serving him Now when by the Word of God that acceptable and perfect will of his wee are taught that hee was displeased with his people the Jewes for tolerating of all religions amongst them and that he was highly offended with those christian Churches in Asia for tolerating the doctrines of Balaam and Iezabel we are sufficiently taught and instructed that Christians ought not to tolerate any other Religion but that which Christ the only King and Law-giver of his Church hath taught us and that whosoever should take that authority upon them to tolerate all Religions would bee found fighters against God and such as deservedly would bring downe his judgements upon the Land by it for if but conniving at evill and consenting to it be a thing displeasing unto God how would the tolerating of it by a Law be abominable unto his sacred and divine Majesty for this were to establish iniquity by a Law We are taught in the holy Scriptures that the consenting with a thiefe makes a man as guilty before God as the acting of thievery Psal 50 and that they that assented unto Jezabel in killing the Prophets made themselves all as guilty as Jezabel her selfe and that the Heathen Romans Rom. 1. verse 32. who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not onely doe the same but consent with them that doe them made themselves as equally guilty as the Actors of them as Paul in his bill and information put up in the Court of Heaven against them sufficiently declareth the same did Elias in his bill of information against the people in his time accusing them all as equally guilty of the blood of the Prophets and destroying Religion as Jezabel and onely because they consented unto it They saith Elias have killed thy Prophets and have broken down thy Altars Which they all the people that assented unto her as well as the Officers and Executioners And so our Saviour in his time accuseth the people as well as Herod for slaying of Iohn the Baptist saying They have done to him whatsoever they pleased They which they all the Nobles that sate at Table with Herod that did not disswade Herod from that bloody and tyrannicall act and all the people that liked well of it the sinne of this Nation who assented unto the bloody Decrees and censures given in the High-commission-Court and in the Star-chamber and in all other unjust Courts the people that assented unto all their cruell censuâ—es against Gods people and liked well of it are as equally guilty who would ordinarily say that had they beene Judges
was a mighty company for it is related that the people of the City with one accorde from the greatest to the least both men and women believed and were baptized Now if any man shall duly consider and weigh things this City was no contemptible one as appears from that I said before and yet it is asserted by the holy Ghost who is worthy to be believed and credited that all the people of that City from the greatest to the least both men and women believed and were baptized and therfore they could not all meet in any one place or a few neither was any one Pastor able to Teach them all which appeareth in that the Church of Ierusalem at first sent two of the chiefest Apostles Peter and Iohn to Samaria so that all this shews there was an innumerable company of believers in that City all which could not meete in any one or a few places as all reason will easily perswade Besides the Apostles Evangelists and the Ministers of those times had an other manner of converting faculty then the Independents in our dayes who I never yet heard converted any though they have perverted and seduced many For the Apostles and Evangelists and the primitive Ministers there were immediatly sent of God and inspired with the holy Ghost and spake in all Languages and did Miracles such as none could doe but those that came from God as Nicodemus said unto Christ that none could doe such works and miracles as he did except God were with him Iohn 3. 2. for they cured all manner of diseases with their word and shaddow they raised the dead made the lame to walke and cast out Devils and did whatsoever was wonderfull Withall they Preached unto them the glad tidings of joy and peace and of everlasting happinesse after a miserable life here and did also instruct them how to order their wayes and conversations here so that they might live with honour and dye with comfort and be usefull to all men both in life and death and after death And the Apostles Evangelists and Ministers of those times as they did good wherever they came so they lived so holily and unblameably in all manner of conversation and were men of such integrity sincerity and of such plaine upright dealing as the people that beheld their conversation and saw withall their workes of wonder that they did said of them that gods were come downe amongst them in the likenesse of men so that they converted whole cities and countries wheresoever they came yea it was an ordinary thing with them to bring whole Nations in a short time and with a few Miracles to the obedience of the faith as wee may see through the whole Storie of the Acts and from that of Paul Rom. the 15. verse 18. 19. where the Apostle abundantly declareth the effect of the Gospel and Miracles of those times who wrought so powerfully wheresoever they came even to the converting of whole countries and cities and so they prevailed in this citie of Samaria that the people of the same were speedily converted from the greatest to the least both men and women who all beleeved and were baptized and what rationall man will thinke or can beleeve that all the people men and women of a mighty and royall citie could meet in any place or a few to partake in all acts of worship but must necessarily be distributed into divers congregations and churches if they would partake in all ordinances and yet all these made up but one Church as being under one government that of the Presbyterie for there were Presbyters ordained in every Church and in every citie as is apparent from Acts the 14. verse 23. and Titus the 1. And now I have proved that the two Mother cities of Palestine Ierusalem and Samaria consisting of many congregations were Presbyterially and classically governed I will goe on to the other cities of the Gentiles enumerated by my brother Burton and prove that they also consisted of many congregations and assemblies and were all subordinate to their severall Presbyteries and Classes And first I will begin with the citie of Corinth w ch was a famous citie and in the which there was an illustrious church and therfore in it also there was constituted a Presbytery that was many Presbyters to governe and rule that Church and those congregations under them for it is said Acts the 14. that Paul and Barnabas ordained them Presbyters in every church and Paul and Barnabas were Ministers in the church of Corinth yea Paul planted this church and Apollo with Barnabas and the Presbyters watred it and therefore there must necessarily be many congregations and assemblies in that church For one Pastor or Minister would have beene sufficient for owne flocke at least a Pastor and a Teacher or a Doctor would have beene sufficient to have fed one congregation now in that they had many ordinary Pastors and many extraordinary Teachers in it with all good reason it followeth that there were many assemblies and many congregations in that church which will yet more abundantly appeare from its first constitution or planting for wee reade of multitudes both of Jewes and Gentiles in that Citie that beleeved Acts the 18. verse 5. 7 8. c. and that besides Iustus Crispus also and all his houshold and many Corinthians beleeved and were baptized and the Lord also said that hee had many people in that Citie ver 10. which by the diligent preaching of Paul for eighteene moneths together were converted verse 11. for whose further building up in their most holy faith Paul Apollos Timothy Cephas and many other extraordinary famous Ministers and Teachers besides their owne Presbyters were all constantly imployed in season out of season in preaching the Gospel and administring the holy Sacraments and labouring in word and doctrine 1 Cor. 3 4. all the which imports many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in that Citie Besides both the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians shew that there were multitudes of deceitfull Teachers Seducers and false Apostles which urged the ceremoniall Law and the observation of it and they also had their congregations and assemblies there were also many vaine Instructers and idle Teachers who though they kept the foundation yet built upon it wood hay and stubble Now all reason will suggest that Pastors of such severall minds and teaching such severall discrepant doctrines had all of them schollers followers of the same opinion wherof their several Pastors were as now we see in the several Sects in our times therefore they did not all meet in one or a few places except we understand their meetings for the convention of their Officers with a part of the more choyce people for discipline besides as wee have expresse mention of a Church in Aquila and Priscylla's house 1 Cor. 16. so there were many other meeting places in Corinth where the Christians assembled themselves together for in expresse words there
same word is used Matth. 19. 5. For this cause saith our Saviour shall a man leave father and mother and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall cleave to his wife Now saith he we know that a man cleaves to his wife by a covenant and therefore why not so to the Church If he had said why not so unto Christ he had said something to the purpose for we are married onely unto Christ and not to the Church knowing that the Church is Christs Spouse and Christ is the Churches Husband and we are married unto Christ and not to the Church and one to another neither did any Christian yet ever deny but that all those that would be joyned unto Christ and so be received into his house and family and be subjects of his Kingdom they must take the oath of Allegeance unto their King Christ and therefore must enter into his house which is his Church by the covenant of Baptism this I say all men accord unto when men are first admitted into the Church And this covenant I say all that will be Christs Disciples and of his Kingdom and Family must take before they can be admitted But that they should after they are baptized enter into another particular explicite covenant and by that binde themselves to the Church I affirm there is neither precept nor president for it in all the holy Scripture either of the old or new Testament neither is there any such mystery in the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to imploy so much for we know the same word is used in the eighth Chapter of the Acts verse 29. Where the Spirit said to Philip go neer and joyn thy self to this Chariot Where the word joyn in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which word Philip did not understand that he must joyn himself to the Eunuchs chariot by a particular explicite covenant No more ought any wise man to conceive that when Paul assayed to joyn himself to the Disciples that by that he would have taken a particular explicite covenant of Church fellowship This is nothing else but to beg the question and to amuse the simple and to deceive them by taintering the words of Scripture and stretching them beyong their native signification to make them fit for their occasions that they may juggle the better to delude the poor people which is a great wickednesse in these men thus to trisle about words till they loose the Truth which is the substance to the destroying of their poor souls The truth is that word is often used in the holy Scripture and is used metaphorically as being taken from Joyners and crafts men that joyn many things together by Glew And â—o ordinary discourse it intimates a close joyning whether natural as a branch to the Vine or an arm to the Body or artificial as when two sticks are joyned to become one in Ezekiels hand Ezek. 37. As when Masons joyn stones together or Carpenters timber to make a house But that this word joyn should alwayes imploy a particular explicite covenant to any Church or Congregation when any man takes on him a new relation to it and is made a member of it I affirm there is not one example of it in all the Word of God and as for any command that every member of a Church should do it there is none And therefore it is a meer Will-worship and one of their own Traditions and ought to be abandoned of all Christs Disciples and with so much the more detestation because they make it one of Gods Ordinances and part of his Service and Worship and the very form of a Church whereas it is a batch of their own leven by which they have of late much sowred the Truth But as I said before so I say now again that Christians are to swear fealty onely to their King and Lord Christ Jesus who is their husband and who is the onely Master of his own House and Church and whose voice is onely to be heard and whose Laws are onely to be obeyed and listned unto we swear no allegiance or fealty to the Church for we are all his servants domesticks and have no authority one over another to impose Laws upon each other or to enter in to any covenants amongst our selves without a special command from Christ And as when Stewards of Princes or Noblemen take any in to their masters families they swear them onely to their lords and masters we never hear that the servants enter into any covenant among themselves or joyn or unite themselves in covenant one to cleave unto another Such proceedings amongst servants would never be allowed or tolerated amongst men it would be thought rather a conspiracy or a confederation to do mischeif if they should attempt such a thing As when those men enterd in to a covenant amongst themselves that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul yea it hath ever been observed in all countreys That when servants began once to combine together and to joyn themselves by secret covenants they have alwayes plotted mischeif and therefore there hath been special care used to prevent such conspiracies And all men may well perceive by this their covenanting in their new gathered Churches what it tends to if God of his infinite goodnesse prevents not their designe Therefore I say we being Christs domesticks and his Church and being his house and he being the onely Lord of it and our King we are to smite our covenant onely with him and to swear fealty and obedience to him onely and his Laws and we are not to be the servants of men 1 Cor. 7. And therefore the Lord saith in Malachi the first If I be a father where is my reverence if I be a Lord where is my honor How is it that ye obey me not We are onely therefore to obey his voice and not to regard the traditions of men or to serve God after the commandments of men Now then when the Independents impose this their covenant upon the people as a part of Gods worship and will not admit of any into their new Churches without entering in to this conspiracy I say by all their proceedings in as much as in them lies they dis-throne Christ in preferring their own laws before his wherein they commit a detestable wickednesse And this shâ—ll serve to have spake concerning the fourth quere And now I come to the fifth of womens votes whether they are to be admitted in elections To which my Brother Burton thus replies Page 15. We saith he tie not the keys to womens girdles And I. S. page 19. But as for this of womens voting in the Church saith he we have no such custome nor any of the Churches of God that I know Thus he For answer to both my Brother Burton and I. S. I say thus much That they cannot be ignorant of the practice of the Churches in many of which and those the