again attained We read Act. 15. 39. that Paul and Barnabas parted but we hear nothing of their meeting again And Church History sheweth us That Schisms in a Church for almost just nothing have continued incureable for some Generations until not only the Authors and Ring-leaders of the Schism but also their Disciples were removed by Death Osiand Gent. 4. Reas. 6. When a Rent is made in a Church as it is hardly curable so it still groweth wider It is easier to know whereabout a Rent begins than whereat it will end The greatest of Church Divisions some of them at least have been observed to have had but small Beginnings hence is that commonly received Maxim Omne Schisma desinit in haresin The Faction of the Donatists at first made but a Schism separating from the Communion of the Church upon pretence of some faulty Officers and mixed Communions but it was not long until they fell into several Heresies The Doctrine being thus Explained and Confirmed from Scripture and Reason I shall now apply it to Use. Our first Use is for Refutation The Doctrine refutes at least layeth a just odium upon the Doctrine of Separation and that Way which is called Independant or Congregational in so far as it is made up of such Principles as lay a Foundation for the perpetual Renting of the Church Of which Principles I shall reckon Four The First is That Principle whereby They maintain the Lawfulness of gathering Churches out of Churches acknowledged by themselves to be True Churches A most dividing Principle in so far as it gives way for every Man to Separate from his Own and to join himself with another Church supposed Purer with contempt of the former Congregation To gather Churches out of Churches is the way to destroy but not to heal diseased Churches It is to destroy many Churches for making up of One as if one going about the Cure of a Natural Body should cut off and take out all the sound Members and leave the rotten and diseased Members either to Cure one another or to perish A strange and desperate way of Cure A Second Dividing Principle in that Way is The Rule according to which they will have Ecclesiastick Judgement pass'd upon their Church Members to wit Conviction of their Inward good Estate which Rule being variable and uncertain some will judge one way some another according as they are more or less enclined to Charity yea the same Man at several times will have a various Judgement of the Inward State of another according as the Presumptions and Probabilities by which only he is led to judge of what is within are more fully or sparingly represented Hence there is a Seed of Breach upon Breach But God hath not left his Church in the matter of Authoritative judging to walk by such uncertain Rules A Third Dividing Principle in the Independant Way is this That all Church Power is solely in a Particular Congregation Hence if a Particular Congregation go wrong tho but made up of seven Persons which is a competent number with them there is no Authoritative Mean in all the Churches of the World to reclaim them This must needs open a Door to as many Divisions as there are Churches A Fourth Dividing Principle is That there is not a Catholick Visible Church yea no Church Visible but a Particular Congregation and another Principle they hold which followeth upon this to wit That a Minister can exerce no Acts as a Minister to any but those of his own Flock Hence 1. There can be no Communion of Churches as Churches there remaineâ—h only a Communion of Members There can be no Church Act from one Church or many towards another The Results and Determinations of the most Famous Synods made up of never so many Churches are to be look'd upon but as the Actings of so many private Christians Yea 2. Hence it will follow that there can be no Communion amongst Members of several Congregations in publick Church Ordinances as in hearing the Word jointly from a sent Minister in Receiving the Seals together For according to this Principle a Minister cannot Authoritatively Preach nor in any respect Administer Baptism or the Lords Supper unto any though never so Gracious except to those of his own Flock no not tho they be occasionally present when he is dispensing these Ordinances unto his Own Which Consequence is expresly granted by some of the chief of that Perswasion So it is a Principle which destroyeth all Communion of Churches and Members and therefore inconsistent with Union Several such like Principles in That Way might be reckoned out Concerning which the Doctrine warrandeth us to say this much If Unity be so necessary and so much to be sought after then such Dividing Principles cannot be of God Our Second Use is for Direction If Unity be so necessary and so much to be laboured for then we are to bewail that we our selves are so far and every day a step further from it Our Divisions grow I fear all the three wayes and in all ranks Our Heads are divided our Tongues divided yea and our Hearts divided Synods are divided Presbyteries are divided Congregations divided Ministers divided People divided yea and in some places Families divided Husband and Wife Father and Son Mother and Daughter Master and Servant yea and all divided We are as Mad-men every one eating the flesh of his own Arm. Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh And they together against Judah An Evil never enough lamented and the more to be lamented that there is no appearance how it shall be helped There are many things may make us look upon the present Division as our saddest Affliction and greatest Weight I shall reckon Six things 1. The many particular Evils which upon an exact search it will be found Our Divisions have brought upon Peoples own Spirits How much of our precious time is spent in vain jangling by which our Heart cannot but â—e made worse Many I fear too too many so taken up with their Heads that they forget their Hearts the sweetness and profit of mutual converse and fellowship is much marred Our mutual freedom and benefit that way much impaired Our Peace with God by our hot Debates untender Expressions and bitter and unnecessary Reflections of times brangled and shaken A Second Thing that may make Us look on our Present Divisions as our great Weight is The name of Praise which this Church hath had for Unity in times by-past amongst the Reformed Churches In the Harmony of Confessions the Preface to the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland makes mention of this as a rare Priviledge of This Church beyond many and that which makes Her very Name Famous among Churches abroad That for the space almost of Sixty Years She had keep'd Unity with Purity without either Schism or Heresy Now if Unity hath been formerly this Church's Praise how sad and weighty is it and how woeful men are we that
are the surest Pillars of our Commonwealth but woe to and will be to that Common-wealth that is builded on such Pillars And if Scotland or any party in it joyn with them on these terms our woe is but coming He is a jealous God chiefly in the matter of his Service as is clear from the Second Command The Third use is If this be an Ordinance of God to put Power in the Magistrates hand to punish Error it should make you scar at Error and labour to be grounded in the Truth For we see Error is a sin that God hates and it is a sin that God will have the Magistrate to punish and so a sin that he himself will punish if the Magistrate do neglect it It is natural to men to think If they can live a good Life it is the less matter what be their Opinion but the Lord Judges not so for as he will have other sins punished by the Magistrate so he will have these punished also And such as he usually punisheth himself by fearful Plagues when the Magistrate neglecteth his Duty in punishing other sins so doth he in those We might speak much from History of fearful Judgements sent immediatly by God upon Hereticks but we shall here close SECT III. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF Erastianism Head I. That there is a Church Government held forth in Scripture HAving thus show'n that the Doctrine of Tolleration is not of God I proceed to Demonstrate this also in some other of the most Dangerous Errors of the Times We shall begin first with these Errors which are about the Government of the Church and that because the Government of the Church is the hedge of the Doctrine for if once the Government be brangled or shaken the wild Boar of the Wilderness cometh in easily and corrupteth the Doctrine therefore it is that the Devils main design hath been against the Government of the Church to blast and storm this Wall on all Hands The summe of what we have to say in this is to make out these four points First That there is a Government appointed by Christ in his Church distinct from the Civil Government Secondly We shall show that this Government is not in the hands of the Civil Magistrate but in the hands of Christs own officers which he hath appointed for Governing his house By inflicting of Church Censures enacting of Church canons so as they are not to act by derived power from the Magistrate and Appeals are not to be made from them to the Magistrate Thirdly we shall endeavour to prove That this power of Church Government is not in the hands of private Christians or the community of the Faithful but in the hand of Christs own Officers Ministers and Elders And Lastly We shall endeavour to prove that this Authority and Government is not in the hand of particular Congregations or particular Elderships Independently from other Judicatories above them but that this power is given to them so as they must be subject to Superior Judicatories In which propositions we will meet with these Errors that are most dangerously opposite to Church Government at this time The First two propositions are contrary to the Doctrine of Erastians and the last two are contrary to the Doctrine of Independents as they are commonly designed First we shall engage with Erastianism and our Scope in this shall be as in the former to show that however it pretend to the Spirit yet when it is brought to the tryal it will be found not to be of God This Doctrine or Error hath its name from the prime Author of it called Erastus a Doctor of Medicine who upon some discontent did first vent it to wit That Ministers should only meddle with Preaching but should have no power to meet in Church Judicatories Sessions Presbyteries or such like nor should they punish Scandalous sins with Church Censures Such as Suspension or Excommunication But that all power whatsoever in a Nation both in Church and State should be in the hand of the Civil Magistrate This Doctrine so soon as it was vented did get and does yet get many followers chiefly among state Divines and Christians that know more of wordly policy than Christian simplicity so that in a short time if God prevent it not it is like to swallow up all other Controversies about Church Government so plausible and pleasing it is to the powers of the World who cannot well endure to have Christ Reigning besides them Psalm 2. 3. Let us break their bands assunder and cast away their cords from us Both Sectaries and Malignants do aggree in this Error to take the power of Discipline out of the Churches hand 's The spiritual power of Church Censures in the hands of Christs officers is an eye sore to both of them But to come nearer to the point There are two heads of this Erastian Doctrine which we shall labour to refute The First is most gross whereby they affirm That there is no particular Church Government set down in Scripture In a word that there is no Government in the Church by divine right but that this Government is left in the hands of the Civil Magistrate whether to erect any Government at all in the Church or not or if he please to erect one That he may establish That Government which suits best the well-being of the Civil state So that according to this Doctrine the Civil Magistrate may establish Episcopacy this year the next year he may establish Presbytry and the third year he may cast both and establish Independency And if he like He may find out a Government different from any of these and establish it The Second Erastian Error is this whereby they affirm whatever Government be in the Church whether grounded in Scripture or not that according to Scripture it is in the hands of the Civil Magistrate and that he is the chief fountain of Church Government In opposition to the first Error we lay down this Conclusion which God willing we shall make good That Jesus Christ the King and head of his Church hath established a particular form of Church Government in his word which to alter is not in the power of any State whatsoever He hath set down a way for punishing Scandals for inflicting Church Censures Enacting Church canons And hath not left this in the Arbitriment of Kings or Parliaments to set down any Government they please In prosecuting which point we shall follow that Method we keeped in refuting the Doctrine of Tolleration We shall First clear the State of the Question Secondly We shall bring Arguments to confirm the Truth Thirdly We shall Answer these Arguments the Adversary brings against the Truth And so we shall apply all to Use. I. And First for clearing the State of the Question take thir two assertions First we do not affirm that all the Circumstantials of Church Government is set down expresly in the word But only first That all the
find in Act 15. 4. and Act 21. 15 18. And when they were come to Jerusalem they were received of the Church and of the Apostles and Elders c. Now they are not called the Elders of a particular flock at Jerusalem but the Elders of the Church and therefore did meet in one Common Judicatory The force of this Argument cannot be spoken against by our Opposits who prove their particular Elderships from the same ground as in Act 20. 28. mentioning of the Elders of the Church of Ephesus From whence they Reason thus Ephesus was a particular Congregation we read there were Elders in this Church therefore there was an Eldership who met together for Governing that Church in common They must give us liberty to Reason that same way thus We find at Jerusalem was a Church made up of many particular Churches we find Elders in this Church Therefore there was an Eldership who met together for Governing of this Church or these Churches in common But Thirdly to make this Argument yet stronger not only there are Elders in this Church but we find they meet together for Acts of Jurisdiction belonging to the whole Church in Common For proof of this see Act 11 30. The contribution that is gathered for supply of the Saints is sent to the Elders Now what the Elders should do with it may be gathered from a place like it Act 4. 35. 37. where it is said They sold their possessions and laid down the price at the Apostles feet And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need So doubtless the contribution was given to the Elders for this end that they might have distributed the same to the poor in the whole Church And so it was an Act of Government tending to the good of the Church Further we find this more clear Act 21. 18. They meet together and Judicially set down a way to Paul for removing of a Church Scandal by satisfying the offended and purifying himself after the manner of the Jews In v 23. Do therefore this c. So we see their Elderships meeting together for removing a Scandal We find a Third place to confirm this Act. 15. 2. 4 We shall afterward make use of the whole Chapter to prove the power of Synods only this much at present to the purpose in hand We find the Elders met and make binding Acts to the Churches under them So we have made out the first point That there is a Government of many Congregations under one Presbytry holden out in the Word The main thing our Opposits flee to at the last is this That granting it to be true That there were many Congregations in Jerusalem before the Persecution in Act 8. And that they had one Government above them yet that doth not infer a Government by Presbytry For they were Governed by the Apostles We read not of any Elders in that Church before the Dispersion at which time they were brought to so few a number that they might all meet in one place So that though there was one common Government then by Elders It inferrs not a Presbytry but a Congregational Eldership only This is the sum of all that is said to this For Answer They grant to us That after the Persecution there was a common Eldership over the Church of Jerusalem And Secondly We have proved that there were moe Congregations than One there even after the Dispersion And we have also proved that they had Elders over them in common so that whatever was before the Dispersion yet even from their own concession it followeth That there was a Presbyterial Government in Jerusalem after the Dispersion Secondly we answer They can hardly prove that there were no Elders in Jerusalem before the Dispersion It s true we read not of Elders until Act. 11. But when they were first instituted we read not Thirdly We answer That though there were not Elders to govern them in common yet it is enough for us that the Apostles did govern them in common for they were also Elders So they call themselves 2 John ver 1. 1 Peter 5. 1. But Secondly As they were Elders so what they did in these Acts of Government they did it as Elders For what they did as Apostles is not imitable now but what they did in Governing the Church is imitable such as Ordaining of Officers Distributing of Alms. Again What they did as Apostles one of them might do it alone But here they do it in Collegio Act. 6. And reserve the Peoples part of Election to them Now they never met together to write Scripture nor sought the Peoples concurrence for any Act meerly Apostolick so it is clear the Church was governed by them as Elders And so the Churches even then were under one common Eldership And this now for the first thing we promised to make out to wit That the Scripture holdeth out a pattern of the Government of many Congregations by one common Presbytery ¶ II. There is a Plat-form of Government by Synods over many particular Presbyteries holden forth in Scripture THe Second thing we promised to make out is this That as the Scripture holdeth forth the Power of Presbyteries so also the Power of a Synod by which we mean Church Judicatories above Presbyteries as they are above Sessions or Congregational Elderships I. For understanding the Question These Synods or greater Meetings of Church Officers are of three sorts Some made up of several Presbyteries and these are Provincial Synods such as commonly we have twice a year Or they are made up of several Synods within a Nation and these are General Assemblies Or Thirdly They are made up of several Churches of several Nations or Commissioners from them and these are called Universal Councils or General Synods of the Christian World Now all these differ from Presbyteries not only in this That they are more ample but also in this That the Government by Presbyteries is the common ordinary way of Government held out in Scripture But Synods for the most part are more rare and upon particular emergent as Act. 15. That Synod was called upon an occasion of Division in the Church of Antioch which troubled other Churches about Secondly All these kinds of greater Synods The Provincial Synod and the Synod of a Nation and the Universal Councils do not differ in Nature and kind but only in less and more Wherefore it is not needful that we hold out every one of them from Scripture It is sufficient that we hold out the Power of Synods in the general which is to be applyed to every kind in particular For so we find it in Scripture in other things Particulars are infinite and therefore in things of one and the same kind General Rules are sufficient Or a Rule for one particular which keeping the just proportion is to be applyed to other particulars of the same kind As Matth 18. Christ sets down the way of walking in private Scandals speaking
nothing of publick Scandals Not as if Jesus Christ did mean that publick Scandals should be passed over but that the same Rule may serve for these keeping the just proportion Even so is it here If the nature of Synods be held out in the Word that is enough though it speak nothing of the bounds to which they should extend whether of One Province or of All the Provinces of a Nation no more than it is particularly set down in Scripture what should be the number and bounds of a particular Congregation There is a Third thing for clearing of this Question The Independents and we agree in this That the word gives ground for meeting of Synods only we differ about their Power They grant that in case of Division or Scandal Synods may meet and give their Advice in Matters doubtful only they say that Synods have no Power of Jurisdiction to command others in the Lord to embrace their determinations We on the other hand maintain that they have this Power and that the Scripture holdeth out such a Power belonging to them II. We might instance this in Act 1 In the choice of Matthias which was done by no particular Church For here were the Apostles whose paroch-Paroch-Church was the whole world Here were the Brethren of Christ from Galilie v 14. Some from Jerusalem v. 15. This meeting did a Church business of common concernment to the whole Christian World and so behooved to be done by those who did represent them And therefore this behooved to be a General Council But to clear the point more fully we shall take Act 15. Where this Synod we plead for is held forth clearly The History is plain A difference ariseth in Antioch about Circumcision This cannot be composed in Antioch it self so they send up Commissioners to Jerusalem to determine this matter where there is a Synod of Apostles and Elders and they determine the Question Now that it may appear the Synod we plead for is here consider first That there was a Church meeting or Judicatory here None may doubt of this as is clear v 6. Secondly Consider That this Judicatory is made up of Commissioners from the several Presbyteries we see that Commissioners from the Presbytry of Jerusalem was there v 6. And Commissioners from the Presbytry of Antioch Act 15. 2 Paul and Barnabas and others Now that these were Commissioners and had voice appears from Act 16. 4. where the decree that was then made was ascrived to all the Elders who were present It is very likely that there were other Commissioners there also from Syria and Cilicia For they are joyned with Antioch in the Letter v. 23. For what other Reason cannot be imagined except that as they were alike troubled with the Heresy as Antioch was so they had their Commissioners there as Antioch had And therefore these Acts are binding to them in a special manner However it is clear that there were Commissioners from the Presbytry of Jerusalem and of Antioch so the meeting was made up of two Presbytries And by the same rule it may be made up of moe Thirdly We would consider that this meeting made up of Commissioners from several Presbytries makes binding Acts unto other absent Churches who were present only in their Commissioners And there are several things to clear this First They determine the Question in v 19. 20 Secondly They impose Their determination on the Churches to be keeped by them So in the Letters They wrote to the Church of Syria and Cilicia v 28. The word that is turned there a Burthen signifies a Law or a Decree and so we find it in Act 16. 4. There their Conclusions are called Decrees which were ordained of the Apostles and Elâ—ers at Jerusalem And which were to be keeped From all which it is clear They did make Acts binding other Congregations Thirdly We find they put forth an Act of Censure on the false Prophets v 24. They called them Lyars A brand of Infamy It 's true They Censured them not with Excommunication For it was time enough to doe That when they knew they were become incorrigibly obstinate according to the common Rule An Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject By this I hope ye perceive clearly a pattern for greater Synods a Judicatory made up of Commissioners from several Presbytries and these making binding Laws to other Churches who were absent in their Persons and only present in their Commissioners III. Their main Objection against this is That the Apostles were here who were guided with an infallible Spirit to determine and so this can be no Rule for our Synods made up of men wanting that assistance To this we Answer that this if it prove any thing will make against our Opposits themselves as well as against us For they hold that here is a pattern of a Synod for advice so if their Argument hold against Us in the One It must hold also against Them in the Other Secondly We shew before that the Apostles were also Elders and sometimes Acted as Elders Now if it can be proven that they Acted as Elders here it breaks the strength of their Objection But this is clear First Paul and Barnabas are sent by the Church of Antioch They willingly submit Act 15. 4 Now in their Apostolick Office they were not directed by meâ— And so surely here they acted not as Apostles Secondly The Apostles all along go not on that way as when guided by an infallible Apostolick Spirit For they state the Question and debate it in v 7. Now when they write Scripture they do not use advice nor do they debate what they shall conclude but speake all as immediatly inspired But here they debate And â—aving found Truth By force of Reason they conclude as any other Assembly upon like assurance of Scripture warrand may do It seemeth good unto Vs being Assembled with one accord c. In v 25. Thirdly When the Apostles did determine any thing as Apostles and were guided by the immediatly inspiring Spirit of God then they did determine the Question fully that nothing needed to be added But so it was not here For Peter v 6th gives his Judgment That Believers were freed from the Ceremonial Law What he saith is true indeed Yet it speaketh not fully to the point untill James addeth somewhat to wit That however the Gentils were freed from the Ceremonial Law yet to eschew the Scandal of the weak Jews They were to abstain from things strangled c v 20. And therefore They Acted not as Apostles except we would say that Peter as an Apostle intending to determine a Controversie yet did not speak fully to the point which were an injury to that immediately inspiring Spirit by which they were acted in penning Scripture Fourthly Because the decrees of the Synod are put forth in the name and by the Authority not only of the Apostles but Elders also Act 15. 22. 23. Act. 16. 4. Act. 21. 25. Now
not absurd for in our Parliament Commissioners from Shires are Judges to the whole Kingdom But how It is as they are joyned in Parliament not by themselves alone It is in matters common to the Shire not in other petty particular Affairs And so it is here They are Elders to all the Congregations indeed as they are joyned together in the Presbytery But not by themselves alone In things of common concernment to the whole particular Congregation not in these Duties belonging to every Congregation in particular Object 4. If this Subordination and Judicatory above Judicatory were of Divine Institution It s like Scripture would have spoken more plainly of it not leaving it to be drawn out by so many far fetch'd Consequences Answer We have already given sufficient Warrand for this Government by clear Consequences from Scripture And Consequences from Scripture are Scripture else we must cast at many points of Divine Truth which have no other ground but Scripture Consequence As the Trinity and Change of the Sabbath yea we see Christ himself grounding a material point to wit The Resurrection upon Scripture Consequence Mark 12. 26. 2. We must not teach God how to set down his mind in Scripture We perchance think It had been a plainer way to have cast matters of Religion to so many Heads By which means many Controversies should have been shunned But He hath thought otherwise The Lord in Wisdom hath scattered the parcels of every Truth through his Book intermixing it with other Subjects as the Gold is in the Mine and this to exercise his people in searching out his mind from Scripture IV. In the last place We come to make some Vse of what is said And the first Vse is this If it be so that this Government by Presbytery is grounded on the word of God Then ye would know it is not a thing of nought we are contesting for It 's a part of that Truth once delivered to the Saints and a Truth of no small concernment What would become think ye of Particular Congregations If they had none above them to call them to an account What Divisions Strifes Heresies Schisms would ensue if people were informed of these Contests that have fallen out among our Opposits themselves where this way of Independency was followed The one half renting from the other Excommunicating one another It might make moderate Men scar at it But we need seâ—k no other evidence of this than by looking on Scotland and England these years by past In the Church of England Presbytery could not be set up Independency was pleaded for and practised And what is become of it Sathan hath vomited out a floud of Errors that there were never more nor more gross in any time of the Christian World Yea all the rotten Graves of old Heresie are digged up and now avowed Socinianism In denying Christs Righteousness in the matter of Justification Anabaptism In denying the Baptizing of Infants Arianism In denying the Trinity And many other such like Yea there are some Errors there that were never before heard of Some affirming There is no Church they can joyn with And therefore They turn Seekers Some are above all Preaching Prayer and all Ordinances And all these are the Fruits of Independency Again look on the Fruits of the Presbyterial Government in Scotland where it hath been in Vigour God hath made it an Hammer for battering down the beginnings of Error So that these twelve years bypast not any one Error hath come to any Strength And this all under God from Presbyterial Government being His Institution Our Judicatories were indeed terrible as an Army with Banners though indeed we are now like to turn contemptible God himself heal our Breaches Secondly Guard against the Errors that would draw you from this Truth If ye cannot carry the grounds we have been speaking of with you yet ye may remember ye once heard this Truth confirmed from Scripture and Reason That so when ye meet with temptations to quite it ye may advise well before ye yeild I would press this so much the more As that this Doctrine of Presbyterial Government is the Butt of Sathan's Envy the thing he would have most gladly overthrown As that which stands most in his way For so long as it stood in its integrity We might in the Lords strength have defied the Devil to have brought Error into Scotland And indeed it is the thing he sets himself to brangle To get the hedge once plukt up that so the wild Boar of the wilderness may come in And believe me there is nothing makes me more affraid than that through Gods permission the Devil shall get a deludge of Error brought in on Scotland Because those who have been intrusted with this Government have weakned the power of it by Divisions among our selves A copy is casten How that Erronious Spirits need not stand much on the Authority of Assemblies when they would cross their Designs We are affraid yea we may be past â—ear and conclude That Presbyteries Synods c. have lost much of the weight They had lately in mens consciences Only let me intreat you in the bowels of Christ That ye would put a difference betwixt the Government it self and the Persons who are intrusted with it Doe not charge the faults of the one upon the other The best things that are may be abused And it is Peoples Tryal to put difference between the good of a thing and the Abuse of it The Government is good and of God and the abuse of it is evil and of men What is of God cleave to it and stick fast by it what is from mens corruptions mourn for it Pray themselves may get a sight of it And thus ye shall walk in an eaven way Ye had need to deal with God to ground you in the knowledge of these things For we know not how soon we may be put to it to quite them Only remember They are Truths ye have sworn to maintain with your hands lifted up on high SECT V. A SHORT REFUTATION OF THE ERROR OF Separation Head I. Shewing what is required for making one a Member of the Visible Church WE have gone through these Controversies which are about the Government of the Church We are now to refute some dangerous Errors of Doctrine And first We shall begin with the Error of Separation The Errors of Separatists are many but we shall only engage with two Heads of them which are the main The first is That which they teach concerning the Constitution of the Visible Church Or who it is that should be received Members of Christs visible Body The second is That which they hold to be the duty of every sincere Christian viz. That when they spy any corruption in a Church wherein they are Members as if Persons Scandalous be admitted to the Lords Supper seeing they ought all to be Gracious who come there Then say they It is their duty to keep back from
the Lord's Table profess ye have done Your Duty now is with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord. I shall not run far back for finding out the Connexion of this Purpose with that which goeth before Only ye may observe that Luke the Penman of the Holy Ghost in this History of the Acts doth shew from Verse 19 of this same Chapter how that through occasion of that Persecution which the Church at Jerusalem met with after Steven's Death mentioned Chap. 8 the Gospel being preached by those who were forced to fly for their lives did wonderfully spread as far as Phanâ—ce Cyprus and Antioch And many in these Regions and Kingdoms were taken with it for Verse 21 The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Whereupon as is shown v. 22. when these tidings came to the Church at Jerusalem They sent forth Barnabas A Man of extraordinary Parts and Calling for he was an Apostle as is clear from Acts 14. 14. I say the Church sends him as far as Antioch for helping foreward the Work And in this Verse we have Barnabas his coming to them and what he does when he comes Who when he came and had seen the Grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. In which Words we have these things consideraable 1. Barnabas his coming to Antioch 2. We have what he saw when he came He saw the Grace of God to wit The wonderful effects of God's Grace in bringing so many to embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel 3. We have what this sight did work upon him 1. It made him Glad 2. It brought a pithy needful exhortation from him to these New Converts the sum whereof is here set down That with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. What Explication is needful I shall insist on as I go through the Particulars First It is mentioned he came to Antioch But we hear nothing of any great train he carried along with him Or any great solemnity at his Reception tho he was an Apostle the highest Office-bearer in the Church But only that he came doubtless in a sober way as became a Minister of Christ It was a thing then unknown in the World for Church-men to go accompanied with Trains like Princes and that whole Countrey sides and greatest Personages in them behooved to wait upon their Grandeurs It never was well with the Church of God since Church-men began to overtop Peers and Nobles But the thing I mark from this is That Barnabas tho an extraordinary Office-bearer in the Church and an Apostle doth nevertheless obey the Orders of the Church at Jerusalem For it 's mentioned v. 22. That the Church at Jerusalem sent him forth and here That he did come accordingly Now what this Church at Jerusalem was to whose Directions he subjected himself is clear from Act. 21. 18. It was the Church of Elders or Presbyters even a Presbytry as hath been made out convincingly these years by-past against the Independants To the direction of which Elders the Apostle Paul did submit himself there as Barnabas doth here From which it is clear that even the Apostles and extraordinary Office-bearers of the Church were very respective and tender of that Authority which Jesus Christ hath given to His Church and the Judicatories thereof This appears chiefly in Two things First When there were Churches constitute and Church Judicatories erected to manage the Discipline of the Church the Apostles did not exercise power of Jurisdiction over these Churches by themselves alone neither in the Ordination of Ministers nor in the Censuring or Excommunicating of Scandalous Offenders but tho they were without doubt universal Pastors of the whole Church yet they did remit the same to Ordinary Church Judicatories Thus Paul doth not Ordain Timothy to be a Minister alone but admits the Ordinary Presbytery to do it 1 Tim. 4. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophesy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And 1 Cor. 5. he clearly speaks of the power of Excommunication as residing in the Church Judicatory at Corinth and reproves them for their not making use of that Power in Excommunicating the Incestuous Person and stirrs them up to their Duty V. 4 5. That In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. V. 5. To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus A Second thing wherein the Apostles did show their respect to Church Judicatories was this which is here mentioned in the Text That in many things they were ordered by and subject to their directions Thus in the place cited Acts 21. 20. The Church of Elders or Presbyters at Jerusalem give their Injunctions to Paul that for removal of an offence that many thousands of Jews had taken against him he should publictly practise some of the Jewish Ceremonies in purifying himself and shaving his head which were at that time things indifferent And accordingly it's mentioned v. 26. That Paul did follow their direction All which shews that the Authority of Church Judicatories was very much tendred even by the Apostles themselves The Bishops do indeed boast themselves to be the Apostles Successors and their only Successors I shall not stand upon this It being made very clear by Protestant writers against the Papists In the controversy about the Pope That the Apostles had no Successors as to what was extraordinary in their Office and as to that which was Ordinary in it as to Preach the Word Dispense the Sacraments and exercise Church Discipline over particular Churches That they have in these all Ministers for their Successors But passing that What I am now on is That the Bishops of these latter times have encroached more upon the Power and priviledge left by Christ unto his Church and Church Judicatories than ever the Apostles them-themselves whose Successors they give themselves out for did For as I have cleared from the present Doctrine The Apostles did leave the matters of Ordinary Jurisdiction to be managed by Ordinary Church Judicatories but so do not they The whole Body of Christ's Ministers within a Church though they were all gathered together may neither Ordain a Minister nor Excommunicate a Scandalous Offender but this must be done only by the Bishop and such as â—e doth Substitute under him for it Again the Apostles were in some things at least subject and ordered by the Directions of Church Judicatories but so are not They such a Condiscendance could not stand with their Honours and Dignities Secondly We have in the Text what Barnabas saw among them when he came and this is called The Grace of God The meaning whereof is not as if all of them
the courage to go on in Christs Way and set their Face against the storm of reproach and disgrace which is raised up with such like work But notwithstanding know there is no reason to stumble at Christ or his Way for any thing of that kind Because 1. He approveth no such Scandalous outbreakings His Word condemns them in all and in none more than in his Followers Because David by his fall made the Enemies of God to transgress therefore the sword never departed from his House 2. He permits such Offences to be for holy wise and just Reasons or that wicked men may thereby get occasion to vent that inward Spite they still carried against Religion and Godliness and so in Gods holy justice be permitted to break their necks upon them And 3. That all even the best may see therein their own weakness before a tentation and what unspeakable obligations they are under to God That they are not made examples of humane frailty unto others as others are to them And 4ly That all may learn not to have the Persons of men in admiration to love Truth and cleave unto it not for the Piety of men who owne it but from that worth that is in Truth it self So as that tho the very Ministers themselves who Preach it should run away from it or by their Scandalous outbreakings thro durt upon it Yet ye may still adhere to it In which case that whereon others stumble and break their neck should make you advance the faster in your way and God should bring you meat out of the eater A 6th thing that proves a stumbling block unto many is Diversity of Opinions There are so many Religions and Opinions about Religion they know not which to follow let all men once agree among themselves and then thy I 'l choose but till then they 'l forbear and so in effect do mock at all Religion But neither should this be For in the deep wisdom of God There must be Heresies that they which are approved may be made manifest 1 Cor 11. 19. Besides It lyeth not in the Devils power so to confound matters but that humble seekers of God will find out the right way He that guids the blind in a way they know not will lead such There are proud conceity People even tho otherwise good and there are also Careless profane People that is Such as look upon all Religion as Policy who are most like among such uncertainties to lose their way 7. People are ready to stumble at Christ and his way Because of the Quality of his followers It 's the Poor receive the Gospel John 7. 48. Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him And as Christs Followers are of the poorest sort So usually the Cross is their Livery Through many tribulations saith Paul they must enter the Kingdom of Heaven And who is Poor sickly tender despised mocked at afflicted in body and mind if Christs Followers be not But there is no Reason for stumbling at Christ and his Way for this And if thou stumble at it thou stumbles at the wisdom of God who 1 Cor 1. 27 Hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and the weak things of the World to confound the things which are mighty And base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen And as to the Cross they get noe more of it than what is needful for them 1. Peter 1 6 Though for a season if need be ye are in heaveness It is needful and they find it needful so as many times they will be made to say they could not want one dram of it besides that the bitter Cross makes Christ the sweeter to them and so sweet as to furnish them with more contentment in their Crossed condition than a King hath who swayeth a scepter Psalm 4. 6. The light of Gods countenance made David Glad c. To this add Their Heaven is not here and the Lord of purpose maketh earth bitter to his followers that Heaven may be the sweeter when it cometh 8. Not only common Calamities from God but bitter persecutions from men attend the way of Godliness and these make many stumble and take up an halt Christ our Lord Matth. 13. 21. Speaks of a sort of men who when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by they are offended And the experience of all times sheweth that many formerly forward do then faint Neither want they their pretended Reasons for they are made to suffer as evil doers often as disloyal or seditious persons which to some makes sufferings more terrible than any other thing Again they 'l but faint and shame the Truth when they are put to it and therefore think it better to quite it in time And how can they be answerable to God to run the hazard of losing all they have in the World and to make themselves and posterity Beggars To this add what if sufferings should run higher than goods even to their life They are not ready to dye and so they may lose their Souls besides they yeild but in a little but quit not all and therefore it is not wisdom think they to be too peremptor These and such like Reasons make many stumble at Persecution and a suffering Lot when it attends God's way and those that walk in it But there is as little cause to stumble at Christ and His Way at this as for the rest For seeing Christ our Lord and Master went to Heaven through a sea of many sad sufferings why should it be look'd upon as a matter unbeseeming or a ground of stumbling that it is with the Servants as it was with their Lord and with the Disciples as it was with their Master Christ strives to prevent his Disciples stumbling by the same Reason John 15 15. Again a Suffering Lot hath still when it followed Christ's Fellowers made Christs Way the Way of Truth and Piety a gainer It hath ever proven so as might be made appear both from Scripture and Ecclesiastick History As it was with the Apostle Paul Phiâ—p 1. 12. So hath it been and so it will be with all Christ's suffering Followers I would saith he Ye should understand that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel This ever hath is and will be God's none-such Way wherein none can follow him to make his Truth his Work his Church his Interests thrive best when they are born down most As the Children of Israel Exod 1. 12. Who the more they were afflicted the more they multiplied and grew and therefore to stumble at Christ's way because of Persecution and a suffering Lot which usually doth attend it is nothing else but to break our neck upon the deep and infinite wisdome of God because he takes his own Way the surest and speediest way to make his Church to grow and will not take Ours
Besides all these pretexts and excuses of stumbling on this account may be easily answered For tho it hath been the lot of Gods Servants even when they have suffered for Righteousness to be suffering in the eye of the World as evil Doers yet in that case men must think it enough that they approve themselves unto God and that there is a day coming when their integrity shall be brought forth as the Light 1 Cor 4 3 with me saith the Apostle it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's Judgment he that judgeth me is the Lord. Again none ever suffered that for him which he did suffer for them He takes nothing from men but what he hath first given unto them neither puts he them to more than what he doth fit and strengthen them for It holdeth constantly In the mount the Lord will be seen And 1 Pet 4. 14. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth on you And when People are put to the outmost of what can be expected even to lay down their Lives what is it but a paying of their debt a little sooner For once die they must And tho they should shift the matter at that time how quickly may God take their life from them another way possibly in a long lingering and pineing sickness with greater torment and a gnawing worm of Conscience besides and for any loss of goods Lands and inheritance that either People themselves or others of their Relations may sustain by cleaving to Christ's Way in a suffering time It is not to be valued to the loss of God's favour and countenance which cannot but follow if men do otherwise God's peace and Favour the light of his countenance listed up is that Hundred fold more than houses brethren sisters Children and Lands which a man who suffereth the loss of all these things for Christ's sake and the Gospels shall receive even now in this life As our Saviour teacheth Mark 10. 29 30. So besides that God hath a thousand ways to make up to men any loss of that kind at least so far as no man who sets his face towards Heaven shall want a competency for carrying him there and when a man 's once there he needs no more Matth 6. 33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you And many things may fall out that may impoverish you in which ye will neither have that honour nor satistisfaction which attends the Christians loss for Christs sake And tho ceding for a little might put a storm of trouble by yet he that is not faithful in the little will never be faithful in that which is more and it is Satan's Policy at all times to draw out the cause of sufferings to small things As Moses's Hoof Mordecart's Beck and Daniel's opening of his window In which case to wit the case of Confession even small things become great From all which It 's aboundantly clear there is no real Reason why any should stumble at Christ and his Way because of Peresecution or a suffering lot which usually doth attend it But a Ninth and Last thing which makes People ready to stumble at Christ and his Way and not only at one piece of his way but the whole bulk of Godliness and turn perfect Atheists is The temporizing temper of Ministers When Alas so much the more is our shame it is usually observed the generality of Ministers almost of all Countries are of that Religion and Way which is most in Credit and which the sway of the Court runs most for Thus among Papists almost all are Papists In Sweden and Denmark almost all are Lutherans And here with Us and in France and Holland almost all are Calvinists And that which increaseth the Scandal and Rock of Offence is When it is observed they easily turn their Tongues to speak the language of all times forewardly crying up such a Way the one year when the Ruling Power is for it and not only crying it up but engaging their Credit and Conscience by the most solemn Tyes which can be imagin'd amongst Men to promote it and pressing with all the most serious vehemency that Men can use upon the Lords People to do the like And yet when times change and that they perceive the promoting of such a Way doth not make for their Worldly interest they will cry it as much down again As if there were no respect to be had either to God Conscience or Credit but only to Peoples Interest and Standing Thus in the dayes of Constantine the Great a Godly Prince all the Ministers almost were Orthodox Again in his Son Constantius his dayes almost all of them even the same Men who had been at the Council of Nice and condemn'd the Arian Heresy turned Arians Hence it was then said Vnus Athanasius contra totum mundum And as it was in that Age so hath it been almost ever since The sway of the Court and Ruling Power of the Times hath carried with it the generality of Ministers too great a length to say and unsay as they did enjoin them This I grant is indeed a Rock which of any other hath in it most of Offence a Rock whereon many a Soul hath made Shipwrack And if the mighty Power of God did not preserve his own Elect It were a Worlds wonder if it did not banish all sence of Religion out of the World making all Flesh turn Irreligious Atheists But notwithstanding the Word of the Lord doth furnish us with something to say of this Rock also that there is no reason why any should stumble at Christ's Way for it And 1. Because both Scripture and Humane Histories do shew That though it hath been so almost in all times yet the Lord hath guided the matter so that he hath still keep'd a Church to Himself I have shewed so much already from Church History in Constantine's time And for Scripture History Ye know in Elijah's time 1 Kings 19. 14. The torrent of Defection was so prevalent that for any thing could appear to such a sagacious Man as Elijah He and he only was left alone And Rev. 3. 4. There were but a few Names left in Sardis which had not defiled their Garments with the Iniquity of the Times 2. This may also contribute to remove stumbling That the Lord amongst all the most general Defections of Ministers hath ever keeped some streight So as the Way of Truth and Piety is not left without a Witness and some encouragement to those that walk in it In Achab's time there was one Elias yea several others tho Elias knew not of them And in Sardis there were a few names at least who had not defiled their Garments Wheâ— the Arians so far prevailed that it was said the whole World groaned and wondred at it self that it became Arian yet there