Antichristian Churches P. 9 10 11 And first I mean Parish-Churches to prove which to bee Antichristian I shall shew what I finde storied of their Original c. You cannot prove the Original of Parish-Churches to be from Rome Quid certi aut explorati a tempore Trajani ad imperium Constantini haberet Ecclesia si Divinum thesaurum non haberet however confident your small reading maketh you of it Your borrowed relation concerning Cletus and Evaristus is not much to bee valued as neither are most of the Histories of the Church for the first three hundred years And if this relation were true the thing is still unproved for I finde it recorded of Ignatius who as some say was Peters successor at Antioch and suffered Martyrdome in the eleventh year of Trajan that being sent from Syria because hee professed Christ to Rome where hee suffered when hee passed thorough Asia hee strengthened and confirmed the Parishes through all the Cities as hee went with his exhortations and preaching So that these Parishes are ancienter than those of Rome But if it were granted that Parishes had their Original at Rome about the time you speak of it makes not to your purpose and that for two Reasons 1 Because Rome then was and long after continued to bee a pure Church of Christ affording many Martyrs that sealed the truth with their blood therefore division of Parishes is not in its Original from Antichrist But you think you have prevented this answer sufficiently by saying Neither doth it help P. 13. that Parish-Churches derive their pedigree from times so neer the Apostles for the mystery of iniquity did work even in Pauls time If you could prove that the mystery of iniquity sprung up in Rome or chiefly there in the Apostles daies you would have some though but a slender and insufficient ground to think that Parishes if they began there are Antichristian But from Scripture and Church-history no such thing appears In the Apostles daies Diotrephes is charged with aspiring towards an universal Headship 3 John 9 10. The Church of the Galatians mingleth works with Christs righteousness for justification and are by this peece of Popery in danger of the loss of salvation Gal. 3.1 2 3 4. The doctrine of worshiping of Angels creeps in Apostle-times into the Church of Colosse Col. 2.18 But all this while the Church of Rome keeps her garments undefiled of these and the like abominations and for a sound profession of faith is famous throughout the whole Christian world Rom. 1.8 And long after this and even in that very time wherein you suppose the division of Rome into Parishes the Saints there sacrificed their lives in the flames to God in the maintenance of the profession of the Christian doctrine And yet Mr. P. is so charitable that to maintain a Fable that hee thinks will serve his turne the Church of Rome must needs bee then Antichristian 2 Because it cannot bee made to appear that Parish divisions as such have in them the least evil or appearance of evil Without divisions according to co-habitation within certain bounds Christians cannot conveniently meet to worship nor Ministers and people discharge their mutual duties I no way doubt but that they have ever been in use when they might bee had in the Church of God The Jews had their several Synagogues for several vicinities And it is very probable that the Apostles in planting Churches observed such divisions as farre as might bee They ordained them Elders in every City But in many Cities the Church consisted in each of several Congregations as shall bee evidenced Sect. 5. and 't is most probable that these were distinguished to attend on their respective Elders according to the neerness of their habitation to the several meeting-places However beleevers are still found in Scripture to have ecclesiastically imbodied in the places of their habitation as those in Ephesus Corinth c. And is not this sufficient warrant for Parochial Congregations as such that is the Ecclesiastical imbodying of such in a vicinity as profess the Gospel But now the way of gathering Churches used by most of the Congregational Brethren and your self picking some out of one Parish and some out of another and that without the leave and against the mind of their godly Ministers who indeavour after reformation and the use of all Ordinances according to Gods mind in their places but are hindered therein to your might by your sinister dealings and some of those members so many miles distant that you are thereby utterly disabled from discharging mutual duties this way and practice is altogether a stranger to the Word of God and sound reason and hath more than an appearance of evil in it There is nothing in Scripture of limitation of Churches by the Ministers function or maintenance by the edicts of Popes P. 13. Bishops or Princes of this world And it is enough against a thing belonging to the worship of God that there is no institution for it that the Scripture speaks nothing of it Then surely it concerns you to look about you Where have you an institution for uniting in a single Congregation members living at such a distance from one another as your practice doth and undertaking to bee a Pastor to a scattered people over whose souls it is impossible you should watch and urging an explicite Covenant as necessary for admission c. As for limitation of Churches by the Ministers function how is your Church distinguished from other Churches but by your taking the charge of the members thereof to watch for their souls how well or possible you can do it it concernes you to see to and is not this limitation of a Church by the Ministers function That the Scripture saies nothing of Ministers maintenance by the edicts of Princes of this world is true if you mean de facto that Scripture gives no example of maintenance thus appointed and raised Princes when the Gospel was penned had power to raise maintenance for the Ministery but would not being enemies to the Church But to argue that because Scripture gives no example of it Christian Magistrates who are by Scripture appointment to bee nursing Fathers and Mothers to the Church may not by their Edicts Laws and Power settle a sufficient revenue upon the Ministers of the Church is vain and frivolous and the result of it is which seems to bee your meaning that the maintenance of the Ministers must bee by the peoples free will and they must live upon the Almes of the Church That this is not the mind of God but that a certain liberal maintenance is by Gods ordinance due to the Ministers of the Gospel is from Scripture very clear 1. Because God established a certain liberal Maintenance for the Priests and Levites under the Law as appeareth by the books of Moses And godly Magistrates quickened up by their royal commands the backward people to pay it 2 Chron. 31.4 5.
hearts stand seized of the power of the keyes in them because the major part are such in our Churches Petitio principij As if the people had the power of the keyes committed to them you know wee owne not that doctrine Church-guides have the power of the keyes committed to them and many of such among us are to bee reputed godly And if in most places wicked men stand seized of the power of the Keyes yet this will not serve to justifie separation from our Churches as false and Antichristian The wicked Scribes and Pharisees stood seized of the power of the Keyes in the Church of the Jews and yet Christ with his Disciples held communion with that Church and gives no encouragement to separation from it whilest hee had not set up a new Church-State Mat. 23.1 2 3. Your prudential consideration for separation That there is no probability of reforming our Churches P. 20 21 22 because the greatest part in them are wicked and will hinder the work which you strengthen with a passage out of the Epistle to the Little Stone Is certainly an argument which the Prophets and holy people of God in the Church of the Jews were not acquainted with or thought not to bee of force to warrant them to separate or to neglect indeavours for reformation Neither doth Jesus Christ look upon such a reasoning or the ground for it as sufficient to excuse the Angels of and Christians in the Churches of dead Sardis and wretched Laodicea who might plead the same improbability of reformation from putting forth their utmost indeavours for it Your Prudence would it seems have taught them that they might spare themselves a labour and rather gather new Churches than stand about a work so unlikely to bee effected as the reforming of the old But surely the Spirit that spake by the Prophets exhorting to indeavours for reformation in the Church of the Jews as miserably corrupted at least as our Churches and the command of our Lord pressing the same duty upon the Churches of Asia do excuse us from practising by your prudential consideration and teacheth us to do our duty for reformation and leave the successe to the Almighty God depending upon him by faith And I doubt not but that it all Church-guides and pious Christians in our Churches would to their power joyn and set about this work wee should finde the Lord dispelling our fears facilitating the work and shaming us for our distrust But you say 〈◊〉 16. If wee would make a kindly reformation wee must not build on Antichrists foundation but returne to primitive practice Agreed But in regard it doth not appear that Parish-Churches had their original from Antichrist and that it appears that Primitive Churches were made up of co-habiting or neighbouring families this puts no necessity upon us of demolishing or forsaking Parish-Churches in order to a reformation no more than the duty of repenting reforming and conforming to Primitive patternes did upon Sardis and Laodicea to forsake their then Church-standing and erect new Congregations Christs Church-State and Antichrist are opposed Rev. 11.1 2 3 4. The witnesses against this are impowered and specified to bee the two Olive-trees noting Magistracy and Ministery and the two Candlesticks noting Churches that arise against the Antichristian Church-State At least at the latter end of Antichrists reign 〈◊〉 17 18 shall the testimony bee mannaged by separating Congregations The Holy Ghost speaks plainly for separating not onely from the corruptions of the Antichristian Church but from the Antichristian Church-State it self Can Mr. P. bee so blind as not to see or so wilful as not to acknowledge that Protestant Churches are Churches separating from the Antichristian Church and from its Antichristian Church-State and that they have been witnesses against them from the beginning of their appearing to this day What was the Antichristian Church and Church-State never separated from till Independent Congregations came of late to bee erected who separate from Churches that separate from Rome Grant that there remaine some Antichristian corruptions in Protestant Churches I am sure there do in the Independent and those of a higher nature For Schisme and Separation from all the Churches of Christ but their own is an Antichristian corruption of one of the first magnitudes The Romanists being the great Schismatick and Separatists will it follow that Protestant Churches while they in the main renounce forsake and protest against Romes pretended Supremacy and her abominable doctrines Idolatry and worship are not Churches separating from Rome and witnessing against her What Churches in the last ages to these late years have mannaged the testimony against Antichrist but Protestant Churches that separated from him and sealed their testimony with their blood whereon ours have not done the least And must wee now look upon them as Churches still in Rome strip them of the glory of being witnesses against her despise the sufferings undergone by them for refusing to own and subject to her And own as Churches separate from Rome and witnessing against her onely a very small number of late Congregations in this corner of the world who have little by profession and nothing by suffering witnessed against Rome but much inveighed against and separated from Protestant Rome-opposing Churches to the great service of Rome Surely Mr. P. must bring better proof of it than hee doth before it can perswade or deserve our beleef But let us weigh his device concerning the witnesses whereby hee presumes to make it out 1 Hee will have the two Olive-trees to note Magistracy and Ministery and the two Candlesticks Churches But wee have but his word for it The holy Ghost doth not there distinguish the witnesses but saies of them both These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks 2 Hee saith In the latter end of Antichrists reign the Testimony shall bee mannaged by separating Congregations Whereas the holy Ghost doth not set forth two sorts of witnesses in different times but saies that the same shall prophesie in sackcloath one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes during the whole time of Antichrists reign My apprehensions of the witnesses according to Scripture are these Three paire of Types wee finde of them in the Old Testament Moses and Aaron in the Wilderness Elias and Elisha under the Baalitical Apostacy Zerubbabel and Joshuah under the Babylonish Captivity And the holy Ghost alludes to somewhat famous in the history of the lives of these persons which is answered with something parallel in the two witnesses Verse 4. alludes to Zerubbabel and Joshuah who are called two Olive-trees that stand by the Lord of the whole earth Zach. 4. Verse 3 5. And the former part of the sixth allude to Elias and Elisha who witnessed against the Apostacy and Idolatry of their times and more particularly to Elias who destroyed his enemies by fire and did by his prayers open and shut Heaven 2 Kings 1. James 5.17 18. Verse 6. the latter part alludes to
looked upon as Churches in point of salvation another to bee looked upon as Churches in respect of outward constitution c. For if they are not to bee looked upon as Churches in respect of outward constitution they are not to bee looked upon as Churches at all unless hee can make it appear that beleevers out of Church-order make up Churches and that there are many mystical Churches And if reformed Churches are to be looked upon as Churches in point of salvation they looking to no other way of salvation but by the bloud of the Lamb and he can give the right hand of fellowship to them on that account hee thereby asserts their Churchstate and separates practically from them therefore without sufficient ground For if they are Churches in point of salvation they have the essentials of Church-order and are not to bee separated from The Protestants would not have separated from the Church of Rome if they could have looked upon her especially after the Sanctions of the Trent Council as a Church in point of Salvation looking to no other way of salvation but by the blood of the Lamb. So that notwithstanding his distinctions Mr. P's doctrine doth absolutely null all the Reformed Churches and all Churches that have disowned Papal Rome from the rise of Antichrist to this last age And thereby denyeth that there hath been a true Ministery and a true Church-state during many hundreds of years since Christ in the world Directly contrary to Matth. 28.19 20. Eph. 4.11 12 13. Rev. 11.1 2. Rev. 14.1 8. Eph. 3.21 To the instances which hee brings of Churches of his way ushering them in with a boast of their setting up Christs order in the face and to the teeth of the beast though in danger to bee slain for it I Answer that surely the Congregational Brethren of our daies have not waded through such great dangers in contending for and setting up their popular government They have had and have as much countenance from the Civil Powers as they can desire On which account many have struck in with Independency to bee of the rising side Surely there are some whom they know that have out-gone them in sufferings for cleaving to their principles and whilst the Powers did oppose their way heretofore flying to New-England and Holland was not a setting up of the order which they deemed to bee Christ's in the face and to the teeth of the Beast But to his instances I suppose that Congregation in Queen Marie's daies to have consisted of holy persons but cannot from the relation that History gives us of it see upon what grounds hee presumes them to have been a party of his own way in point of order and government Mr. Bentham their last Minister is there said to have been soon after Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield and therefore in all probability no Independent As to the hundred persons in Queen Elizabeths daies which Mr. Cotton mentions I should have liked their witnessing against the corruptions in the Church so far forth as their call would bear them out but if they separated from the Congregations in England in general as no true Churches no man is able to prove their separation lawful by the word of God and the words of the same Mr. Cotton pag. 14. of that book will condemn them where hee saith Mr. Robinsons denial of the Parishional Congregations in England to bee true Churches was never received into any heart from thence to infer a nullity of their Church-state Neither was our departure from them even in those evil times a separation from them as no Churches So that grant these two companies to have been Independent Churches yet if they separated from the Churches of England as no true Churches they were in Mr. Cottons judgement so farre in an errour and much more is Mr. P. for nulling all the reformed Churches in the world whereby he maketh his Independentism to become Donatism Hee addeth to justify himself Wee must not for respect to a right faith swallow a wrong Order hath not the letting go the right Order p. 52. let in a wrong faith Yes it hath indeed by those of your way most evidently For whereas the word of God placeth most evidently the power of Church-government in the Officers of the Church as hath been above proved your letting go this Gospel Order and bringing in the room of it a phantastick Democratical government strange to the word of God hath let in a wrong faith with a witnesse for at this back door have entered all the rabble of Sectaries Anabaptists now generally at least semi-Papists Seekers Quakers and Fifth-Monarchy-men of the last edition enemies to Magistratical and Ministerial power as their seditious Pamphlets Sermons and practices tending to imbrew the State in blood and Church in confusion do witness Object 2 It will be said this laies a ground to question all the Ordinances that have been administered in any other way P. 52. to 55 than that which you press for whether they are to be counted null and void Answ Some Ordinances have been corrupted in the essentials of them as the Lords Supper in the Popish-Churches and when so they become no Ordinances and of no efficacy Others were circumstantially corrupted onely as Baptism and when so though wee have cause to be humbled yet wee cannot reject the Ordinance When 't is promised that the Woman should be nourished in the Wilderness Rev. 12.6 it must needs imply that there should be some Ordinances preserved from corruption in their essentials and that Gods people should be accepted in the use of them Yet that is no argument against coming out of the Wilderness no more is the validness of Ordinances in the Episcopal Classical Parochial Churches against separating from them And this separation doth not require rebaptization for 1 The Scripture speaks nothing of it 2 Wee must either own our Baptism received in the Catholick visible Church of Rome the Mother or in the Diocesan or National Churches the Harlot Daughters or else wee must conclude that the Churches owned of God during the four and twenty months of Antichrist of which Rev. 11.4 shall want utterly the initiatory seal of the New Testament and of this wee finde no president or hint in Scripture Or else there must be an extraordinary way of reviving the lost Ordinance of Baptism in these Churches and of this I know neither promise nor experience for these hundreds of years since there have been such Churches Therefore the first must be granted for from the Churches rest till the Wilderness began to set up particular visible Churches by the Waldenses and Albigenses 't is rare to finde a man that would acknowledge any other Church than the Beast and his Images that would acknowledge a particuliar visible Church Answ It is hard for Mr. P. to manage an argument that doth not fall back upon his cause In answering this second Objection hee overthrows what hee had said and
the ground 2 Because they are Harlots and will intice and draw away to their lewd Courses p. 67 68. Babylon hath golden pretences for her abominable idolatries The prevention of Schisms and Heresies for a Catholick Church visible Reverence to the womb that bare us and the paps that gave us suck for Metropolitan National Diocesan Parish-Churches c. And shee is stubborn shee will not return to you Gods people would have cured her but shee is not cured None that would have thorough reformation dare take the whole Parish along with them to the work Why should they bee washed at the same laver at least their children that may not eat at the same Table Let us take the Prophets Counsel forsake wee Babylon and go every one to his own Country Let us wash our hands of her and expect what God hath determined of her as Du plessis once said of the Roman Church Babylon and the best reformed Churches in the Christian World that are not of his way are all one with this modest Theologue Rome renounceth abhorreth anathematizeth them and they have separated from renounce and abhor Rome's Doctrin and Worship and yet this peece of subtilty finds them to bee one and the same Babylon Surely should the Pope understand what service this Separatist's book tends to do him in proclaiming the Protestant Churches to be Harlots and the Babylon to bee separated from hee would account himself endebted to him for it They are Harlots saies hee they have leud courses abominable Idolatries and what are they A Catholick Church visible and National and Parish Churches these are abominable Idolatries in Mr. P's Atheological Divinity Of the two latter I have spoken enough before to vindicate them from this charge I shall now adde something to what hath been said for the former A Catholick visible Church hath been alwaies generally acknowledged among Christians in all ages So that Mr. P. laies abominable Idolatry to the charge of all the Christian Churches that have been unto this last age yea of some of those writers that have appeared on the side of the congregational way Dr. Ames saith that the Church never ceaseth to bee visible which cannot bee understood of any paticular Church for that may fail and that Particular Congregations are as similar parts of the Catholike Church and so participate of its name and nature and those that by profession onely are beleevers whilst they remain in a society are members of that Church as also of the Catholick Church in respect of its External estate And in Bell. Enerv. Wee acknowledge the Militant Church to bee visible as to its outward and accidental form in its parts both separated and conjoyned What can bee more plain But let us briefly consider what Scripture saies to it Act. 8.3 speaks of a visible Church else it could not have been persecuted and yet not of a particular Church for the persecution was in Jerusalem Damascus in every Synagogue in strange Cities yea against all of that way therefore it speaks of the Catholick visible Church 1 Cor. 10.2 must needs bee understood of it also 1 Cor. 12.28 is too clearly for it to bee denyed with any likely reason for 1 The Church here spoken of is an Organical Church 2 It cannot bee understood of a particular Church Apostles and Prophets being Catholick-Officers 3 It must therefore bee understood collectively of all that were within the bounds of the Apostles Commission the Church in the whole world Indeed this whole Chapter treats of the Catholick visible Church All the members of Christ mystical are one body vers 12. 20. Jews and Gentiles are baptized into one body vers 13. and they are one Church vers 28. Eph. 3.10 cannot mean otherwise nor Eph. 3.21 What Church can the Church of all ages mean but the Catholick Visible Church Which though some particular Churches may and have failed hath continued and shall continue in all ages Matth. 16.18 proves this and the point in hand for it may not bee understood of any particular Church and it cannot bee understood of the Invisible Church as distinct from the visible for the invisible Church is not built upon a visible profession as Peters was and the Church here spoken of is such whereof the Keyes are given to Peter and every Minister of Christ to let in members and eject scandalous sinners Now how a member of the invisible Church as such can by a censure bee cast out of the Church invisible who can see but out of the Church visible hee may bee cast therefore this Text speaks clearly of the Catholike Church Visible against which the gates of hell shall not prevail Adde to this that all the Metaphors that set out the Church in Scripture shews the unity of the Catholike Church as visible Shee is a Woman Rev. 12.1 One sheepfold John 10.16 One body Rom. 12.5 The House Temple City of God 1 Tim. 3.15 Eph. 2.19 Heb. 12.22 Rev. 3.12 c. Therefore Mt. P's eyes were bloud-shotten when hee wrote that a Catholike visible Church is an Abominable Idolatry But hee is angry it seems at the pretence too and makes it a peece of Babylons golden cup to wit the prevention of Schisms and Heresies what hee insinuates thereby that Protestant Churches have but this pretence for it and no ground in the Word is untrue and unworthy Surely wee may think that Mr. P. sees that the opposing of Schisms strikes at his Democracy and separation and that therefore hee is not well pleased with the prevention of Schisms if they bee let alone his Schism will escape among them But Protestant Churches have not so learn't Christ knowing that they are injoyned to take the Foxes and the little Foxes that spoil the vines Cant. 2.15 and to mark them that cause divisions and offences and avoid them Rom. 16.17 and to have no divisions among them 1 Cor. 1.10 and that when single Churches cannot effect this they must labour to do it united so fully as the case will require Act. 15. What hee addds to prove the stubbornnesse of Protestant Churches which his dialect terms Babylon that Gods People would have cured her but shee is not cured is an impudent unreasonable and false speech Wonderfull impudence it is especially in such a Theologaster as hee that needs to be taught what a Church is to charge all reformed Churches with stubbornnesse in evil Stubbornnesse is a sinning against light and conviction and what audaciousnesse is it in this aeccuser of the brethren to publish in print that all the reformed Churches sin against conviction in cleaving to their Church-state and way of government Unreasonable also it is for him to say that Gods people would have cured Protestant Churches for thereby hee seems to confine Gods people to those of his way and those of his way have not I am sure put forth requisite indeavours to cure our Churches supposing them to bee sick of Romish diseases unlesse reviling of
them to the uttermost neglect of means to reform them separating from them as fast as they can yea while and when they are reforming drawing away others lest they should help to reform them and proclaiming them to bee Antichristian and wholely to bee rased bee requisite indeavours to cure them and that destroying of them bee curing of them Nay 't is sufficiently known to those that have acquainted themselves with the carriages of our and their Church-guides in these late years that when overtures were made by ours for an accommodation and for unity in reformation upon Scripture principles it was refused and the hopeful beginnings of it broken off by them Yet I must not be so much a Disciple of Mr. P. as to say that they were stubborn therein though there bee much moer ground to say it of them than of us False also it is to say Universally that Protestant Churches are not cured by indeavours put forth for their cure For though not by Independents I confesse yet by the indeavours of many zealous Protestants much of that which looked like something of Rome and was more according to the Traditions of men than the word of God hath been removed and in particular in our Land which notwithstanding the prejudice Mr. P. is overgrown with hee cannot I suppose but acknowledge I confesse much of corruption there is remaining but such as cannot by the rule of the Word deprive Protestant Churches of their Church-state or render it Antichristian What hee saith next That none of those that would have a thorough Reformation dare take their whole Parish along with them to the work as it is nothing to his purpose for corruption in manners proves not a Church to bee Antichristian so it is ridiculously propounded For though a godly Minister that is a Pastor to a Parish-Congregation think not all in a meetness for the Lords-Supper nor admits them all to it yet it follows not that hee takes not the whole Parish-Congregation along with him to the work of Reformation considering it in a Scriptural sense Hee may speak to all admonish all instruct all and indeavour to reform all though hee administer the Supper onely to those who are fit for it and it is one of Mr. P's Slanders to say as hee doth of our Ministers that they lay aside the most of their people as the Jews the Samaritans for they own their membership tell them in relation to the Supper they have a Fundamental right though not a proximate right to present participation being as yet unfit receive them to all Ordinances that they are capable to profit by and exhort them to labour in the use of means for fitnesse for the use of all Ordinances and then they shall rejoyce to administer even the Lords Supper to them and is this to lay them aside as the Jews the Samaritans No more than the keeping from the Passeover under the Law those that were judged by the Law to bee in a present incapacity to use it But the mans head is full of his Democracy which makes him measure us by his principle and think that those whom wee admit to full communion wee admit to exercise the power of the Keyes also which makes him talk of taking them along with us to the work of reformation and admitting them to the management of that matter and that those that are not admitted to all Ordinances are quite laid aside because 't is so with him To his Query Why should they bee washed at the same laver at least their children that may not eat at the same Table If hee bee ignorant of our answers to it let him read them in those many Tracts that have them and if hee bee not ignorant of them why puts hee the Question and that without answering our arguments for this practice Some men will ask why though they have been told why a hundred times and can say nothing that is worth hearing against it His inference from his sorry Reasons the words of which hee borroweth from that famous assertour of Reformed Churches the Lord Du Plessis is a farther evidence of his weakness mistakes and impudence Our Churches this man brands every where as Antichristian and Babylon it self but not one argument of weight doth hee bring to prove it Neither answers hee the solid arguments of the godly-learned condemning separation from our Churches as no true Churches for a grievous sin which indeed should have been properly his work since hee had an itch to write in regard hee stands charged by those writings with this sinne But this belike hee finds too hard a task and that it is easier to lay on than to take off charges and wee must not blame a man for not undertaking what hee cannot perform and so instead of answering their arguments sometimes hee wrests their words and perverts their sence to make it serve his turn Sometimes abuseth their expressions for separation from Rome by pressing them for the service of his unscriptural separation from reformed Churches as he shamefully doth here those of this champion of the reformed Churches Did ever Du Plessis think that his exhortation to separation from Rome should have been so much polluted and abused as to bee managed for separation from Reformed Churches or that the World would have produced a writer so absurd as to account reformed Churches to bee yet in and of and the Babylon it self How could hee if hee had any forehead left him so much as name that woruhy Champion of the Protestant Churches when hee exhorts to separation from them But we shall have a worse carriage of this nature to look upon at the end of his book SECT VII Of Mr. P's Injunctions to the Magistrate and first concerning Parishes Parish-Temples and Patrons P. 69. c. BEE wise O yee Kings be instructed yee Judges of the earth Take away Parishes by an Act of State away with all those Consecrated places for worship Away with Patrons or Lay-founders Away with Tithes c. Away I say with all appurtenances of a Parish-Church Can this be Mr. P's voyce I mean not in regard of the imperiousness of it for there is no ground to doubt it to be his on that account but appealing in matters that concern Religion to the Magistrate whose power he hath so much decried Strange that these worldly Governments whom hee exhorts men in his preface not to accept as Law-givers no not in the Common-wealth and hopes Christ will in due time deliver us from should now be applied to by him for the exercise of their power and that in matters that concern Religion What strange liberty is this that he takes to pul down Magistrates at his pleasure when they stand in his light and set them up again to be his Servants and drive on his designes But possibly he means those Rulers that Mr. Feak and his party of which he hath manifested himself to be would have in place of authority and
and let us goe every one to his own Country c. It is no small aggravation of this mans sin in renouncing Protestant Churches and declaiming against them as Antichristian that he doth so grosly abuse in many places of his Pamphlet the exhortations and expressions of their Writers so as to out-strip therein in impudence the Papists themselves And yet he is so insensible of the evil of this miscarriage that hee dares to conclude his Treatise with it for though he marks but eight lines as Du Plessis his words his two last pages from the beginning of the words now mentioned to the end of his Book are verbatim the translated conclusion of Du Plessis his Book Now how highly unworthy this carriage of his is appears in that 1. He smooths and speaks honourably of this Lord whom the very drift of his Book casts disgrace upon he being a main assertor and defender of the Protestant Church-State calling his Speech that noble Speech of that noble Lord. VVherein he is exceeding like those Pharisees against whom Christ pronounceth a woe Mat. 23.29 2. He grosly wrests his exhortation which is to separation from Rome in pressing it for separation from Protestant Churches which never came into this Lords heart 3. He shamefully abuseth his exhortation which is to close with and get to that holy Mountain the little Zoar Gods Church how small and contemptible soever in the eyes of the world by which he meant Protestant Churches in managing it for joyning with separate Congregational Churches as distinct and separating from those Protestant Churches as Antichristian and setting up a Democratical Government contrary to theirs which Du Plessis would have abhorred the very thought of If he doth not as he saith p. 95. scornfully upbraid any explicitely yet surely he doth implicitely upbraid this Lord and all Protestant Churches with owning an Antichristian Church-state and withall foulely abuseth their admonitions to separate from Rome in urging them for separation from them as if they had condemned their own standing which they are sufficiently known to have throughly asserted as Christian The Lord give Mr. P. repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and deliver him and all others of his mind from their deluding apprehensions and sinful separation Amen FINIS A Catalogue of some Books sold and printed for Andrew Kembe at his Shop at St. Margarets Hill in Southwark DOctor Williams right way to the best Religion wherein at large is explained the principal head of the Gospel fol. Mr. Elton on 7 8 9. Romans fol. Mr. Paul Baynes on the Ephesians fol. A view of holy Scripture by Mr. Broughton fol. Antient Funeral Monuments within the united Monarchy of Great Britain Ireland and the Islands adjacent their Founders and what eminent Persons have been interred Paraeus upon all the Revelations fol. Luther on the Galathians and upon the Psalms of Degrees The Gospel-Covenant or the Covenant of Grace opened by Peter Buckly sometimes Fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Gods holy mind in ten Words or ten Commands which hee himself uttered and taught his Disciples by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher Mr. Elton late Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Bermondsy near London 4º Arraignment of Errour by Doct. Samuel Bolton late Master of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Bounds of Christian Freedom The Exposition of the five first Chapters of Ezekiel with the other three parts 4º All Mr. Henry Smiths Sermons gathered into one Volume with his Life and Picture Mr. Dod on the Commandements 4º Mr. Calamies Sermons 4º Military Discipline or the Young-mans Artillery wherein is shewn the posture both of Musket and Pike By Lieutenant Collonel Barriffe The Art of Dialing or Court of Arts by S. M. Mr. Slater on the fourth of the Romans 4º Also on the book of Malachie Dariotts Judgement of the Starres containing the whole Art of Astrologie Hudsons Vindication of the Church Catholick visible and the priority thereof in regard of particular Churches Also an Addition or Postscript to the Church Catholick visible Mr. Cradicots Sermon preached at the Spittle 4º The Guard to the Tree of Life by Dr. Samuel Belton late Master of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Octavoes Mr. Goodwin on the Sacrament On Family Duties On the Sabbath Mr. Ford of the singing of Psalms Bakers Arethmetick Mr. Tippin of Eternity Dr. Sibbs on Canticles Dr. Taylor on Circumspect Walking Amesius upon the whole Book of Psalms and the two Epistles of Peter 8o. Francis Spira School-Books Farnabies Phrases Farnabie on Seneca Farnabie on Juvenal and Persius Farnabie on Martial Farnabies Epigrams Greek and Latine Dux Grammaticus by Mr. Clark Macropedius de conscribendis Epistolis Vigerius Idiotism Graecae Linguae ERRATA PAge 3. line 18. r. him p. 83. l. 18. for three r. there p. 85 l. 33. for if r. of p. 102. l. 13. for scrupulo r. scrupulous l. 39. for perso r. person
their Fathers name c. That their standing synchronizeth with the standing of the Antichristian Church appeareth Rev. 13.16 17. with the four first verses of the 14th Chapter For the company of the Lambs marked ones is opposite to the Beasts whole marked company whilst it was such whilst the Church-State of the Beast was false and corrupt the Church-State of the 144000 was true And it is said they were not defiled with women which argues that the Whore was at the time of their standing seducing And the Apostle John at the same time sees an Angel going forth and crying Forbes Gyffard Fulk Deut. Fox Bernard Broughton Babylon is fallen Accordingly Brightman Mede and sundry other worthy Expositors understand this context of the 144000 to denote the true Church of God in the midst of whom Christ reigned who were fed with purer ordinances and worship during Antichrists reign and standing out all along against his Idolatry Now seeing the Congregational Churches are as it were but of yesterday who are those 144000 that have stood with the Lamb upon Mount-Sion all along the time of Antichrists reign Either you must assert the loss of a true Church-State in the world for many ages past or else you must acknowledge that the Churches that have maintained a true profession all along the time of Antichrists reign were true Churches and that the Protestant Churches that have owned and maintained the same profession to this day have been and are true Churches and are in the number of the 144000. If you dare not say the former as I suppose you do not you must confess the latter and then with what face or reason will you justifie that separation from them as Antichristian Churches which you contend for Consider I beseech you what you have to answer for before the Lord in branding all the Christian Churches in the world from the rise of Antichrist to this day who have disowned and opposed him except a few separate Congregations of these latter daies as false and Antichristian Churches And the Lord give you repentance from this rash and unchristian dealing SECT III. Of National Churches CIvil co-habitation with wicked men is dangerous Ecclesiastical communion with them in the times of the Gospel p. 6 7 8. much more dangerous and unwarrantable 1 Cor. 5.1 To worship God with a strange worship is to worship a strange God Stephen lost his life for preaching against the Temple and so consequently against the Jews National Church the bond of which was their meeting together at the Temple in one individual worship That the Church is not of the world all grant but that it should not bee in the world is strange Christ gives his Disciples leave when persecuted in one City to flie to another Matth. 10.23 but never requires his followers to forsake their habitations because neer wicked neighbours As for that 1 Cor. 5. touching the incestuous person it is uncharitably managed by you for separation from Protestant Churches who contend for the excommunicating of scandalous persons to their power But it commeth too close to YOUR OWN DOOR verbum sapienti sat The other Texts you mention set forth the danger of society and intimate converse and communion with Idolaters but fasten not upon us because our Churches are not Idolatrous nor our worship strange worship not grounded upon the Word as shall bee made appear In what you alledge of Stephens bearing testimony against the National Church of the Jews and so consequently as you would bee understood against all National Churches as inconsistent with Gospel times the consequence follows not by Stephens Logick but your own For how doth it appear that because hee preached against the Temple and the Ceremonial-Law as things which had an end put to them by the death of Christ therefore hee preached against a National Church as inconsistent with Gospel times in respect of the Nationality of it Or that a National Church purely in respect of its Nationality considered without the adjuncts of one single person as the head of it and one single place of worship to which all should repaire at some set time for you know wee plead not for these things but acknowledge them to have been peculiar to the Church of the Jews is contrary to the institution of Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament If it bee said wee have no example of a National Church in the time of the Apostles nor yet in the times of the primitive Church This cannot bee an objection of weight For in those times whole Nations were not converted to the profession of the Gospel and Magistrates in most of them were bloody persecutors of the Christian profession But yet See Divine right of the Ministery of England p. 12. 13. 1 Wee have both prophecies and promises in the Old Testament of National Churches under the Gospel Psa 72.10 11 17. and Isa 19.18 to the end Here 't is prophecied and promised that Nations shall serve God and bee his people and that they shall combine and hold communion with one another for the better carrying on of Gods service and worship and God approveth of them and blesseth them upon that account 2 There have been National Christian Churches in the world since the primitive times according to the Apostle Johns historical prophecie Rev. 12.7 8 9. wee have a short description of the Heathen Emperours See History of the life of Constantine Maxentius Licinus Maximius overthrown by the victorious armes of Constantine the Great the Man-child that the Church brought forth and now saies verse 10. is come salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ to wit brought into the Roman Empire Persecutors Idolatry and Heresie being suppressed and Christian religion countenanced professed promoted by the godly zeal of Constantine in his dominions Again Rev. 11. Wee have a description of the downfall of Antichrist verse 13. the tenth part of the City fell many of the places under the Roman jurisdiction cast off the Pope then it followes verse 15. The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ The Kingdomes which before were the Kingdomes of the Beast become professedly subject to the Laws of Christ and embrace his Gospel which our eyes have been so happy as in part to see And indeed considering that the Nationality of a Church lies properly in this that the body of a Nation living under one Civil Government and professing the Gospel should have one way of Doctrine and Worship established in all the Congregations of it and one way of Government by greater and lesser Assemblies how such a constitution as this should bee contrary to the mind of God concerning Churches under the New Testament I do not see nor beleeve any man can demonstrate SECT IV. Of Parish Churches Ministers maintenance the Churches of England the Witnesses and Separation I Shall now explain what I mean by
doctrines of the Gospel in them and the associating under Pastors for the use of Ordinances Which though defective among us in some points that concern the bene esse yet are so far found as suffice to maintain the esse of our Churches So that notwithstanding your prohibiting us to account your Magisterial pressing of the casting out of Parish-Churches harsh it is and must bee looked upon by us as very harsh arrogant unjust and unchristian having no ground in reason nor ground or example in Scripture to countenance it The Text you here build upon Rev. 11.4 for the strengthning of your excommunicating sentence past upon all Protestant Churches that are not of your way maketh not at all for you but much against you as hath been in part shewed for 1 The two Candlesticks cannot mean Churches properly or peculiarly but the Witnesses in general whom the Holy Ghost calleth both the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks 2 That which is attributed to the Candlesticks with the Olive-trees verse 5 6. that fire goes out of their mouth c. is proper to the guides of the Church and not to the Churches as appears by viewing the types of the Witnesses as hath been before cleared 3 The Holy Ghost had spoken of the Church and its state under persecution before verse 1. The false Church-State is also spoken of verse 2. and vers 3 4 5 6. the Holy Ghost proceeds to describe the two Witnesses and their condition during the whole time of Antichrists reign distinguishing them from the Church as those that are chief in it and are singled out and inabled to act in a way of eminency for the manifestation of Gods glory and for the Churches good Accordingly they are called the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks to note them to be instruments bringing in a way of office comfort and illumination to the Church There being a manifest allusion to Zech. 4.11 c. So that the two Olive-trees as well as the two Candlesticks mean the Witnesses as they are distinct from the Churches by way of eminency and office Though the Churches do witness yet they are not The Witnesses The Witnesses guide and feed the Church Rev. 12.6 But you say The Candlesticks P. 17 in the language of the Revelation chap. 1.20 are Churches therefore they are so to bee interpreted Rev. 11.4 1 I answer It follows not For in the former Text they are exprest to mean so but in the latter not and the circumstances lead us to interpret them otherwise as hath been said 2 In the former Text there is a clear distinction between the Stars and the Candlesticks the one are the Angels the other the Churches But in the latter the Holy Ghost makes the Olive-trees and the Candlesticks all one Therefore if the two Olive-trees are the Magistracy and the Ministery as you grant p. 18. you must needs acknowledge the two Candlesticks to bee so and not to bee the Churches as you affirme in opposition to the Text and your self But supposing not granting the Candlesticks here to mean Churches will it follow hence that the Churches of your way are owned to the rejection of all others as you modestly beare your reader in hand Or doth not the contrary rather follow For consider These two Candlesticks are said to stand before God during the whole time of Antichrists reign But separated Churches are but of yesterday and therefore if they bee in the number of yet they cannot bee the onely witnessing Churches Seeming to bee aware of this you say p. 18. At least at the latter end of Antichrists reign shall the testimony bee managed by separating Congregations Indeed if they bee witnesses they must bee so onely at the latter end of his reign for they had no existence before But you are not aware how you wound your cause by the shift which you thought would help it For separate Churches arising at the latter end of Antichrists reign and having the dignity of being the witnesses appropriated to them by you It will follow hence that till the latter end of Antichrists reign there have been no witnessing Churches in the world whereas the Holy Ghost saith expresly that the Candlesticks which you call Churches shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty daies which is all the time of Antichrists reign And you have no way to free your self from contradicting the Holy Ghost but by acknowledging whilst you keep to your notion of accounting the Candlesticks Churches that the Churches that renounced Antichrist from the beginning of his reign to the rise of the separate Churches were witnessing Churches Which doth by your own rule establish the Churchdome of the Easterne Westerne and late Protestant Churches that have renounced Antichrist all along his reign hitherto And say I call in question the Churchdome of your Congregations that separate from the witnesses against Antichrist I suppose the Reader sees that your Arrow flies back in your face and that though your own postulatum of interpreting the Candlesticks Churches should bee granted you Your excommunicatory sentence is no more to bee dreaded than the Pope's with whom you joyn issue in reprobating Protestant Churches that you may appropriate Churchdome to those of your way And as posito uno absurdo sequuntur multa you fore-seeing that the paucity as well as novelty of your Churches is like to inconvenience your cause go about to salve the matter with this weak conceit that because the Candlesticks which you have interpreted to be Churches are said to bee two therefore separate Congregations who are fewer than others must bee meant thereby their Churchdome thereby established and the Churchdome of others thereby rejected Wonderful subtilty Quidlibet ex quolibet What shall by this argument become I pray you of the one hundred forty four thousand and of the great multitude of Palm-bearers which no man could number of all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues Surely they are too many to bee the Separate Churches therefore by Mr. P's doctrine their Church-dome is rejected though they stand before the Lamb and with him upon Mount Sion Is not this rare Divinity By the same reason any Sect that is not so numerous as that of Congregational Churches may rob them of their pretended Churchdome and appropriate it to themselves because they being fewer are more likely to bee meant by the Candlesticks which are said to bee two Surely the conceit is not worth more words nor so many 'T is plain that any number may bee signified by two and that Eastern and Protestant Churches renouncing Rome have been few in comparison of Antichristian Churches and that the Churches witnessing against Antichrist are held out in the Revelation as increasing toward the latter end of Antichrists reign and arising out of all Nations in great numbers out of which proceed the seven Angels to poure the seven last plagues upon the Kingdome of the Beast Rev. 15.2 4 5 6. SECT V.
Congregations for the setling of which Of Schism p. 37 38. Paul stayeth so long And besides this The Christians of all Achaia saith Dr. Owen did belong to the Church of Corinth and assembled therewith as they could for the participation of Ordinances and the Church of Cenchrea cometh under the same name with that of Corinth Put this together The beleevers in Corinth in Cenchrea and in all Achaia besides are accounted members of the Church of Corinth by the learned Doctor to whom I suppose Mr. P. will subscribe and then who sees not that there must needs have been many Congregations belonging to the Church of Corinth 4 There was a great number of Teachers in that Church that speech 1 Cor. 4.15 clearly implies it and this argues that there were several Congregations for so great a number of Teachers to attend upon 5 The Apostle speaketh expresly of divers Congregations belonging to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 14.34 Let your Women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep silence in the Churches Therefore there were Churches several Congregations to which the women of the Church of Corinth did belong Against this there are chiefly two Objections Object 1 1 Cor. 14.23 If the whole Church bee come together and all speak with tongues c. Therefore they were but one single Congregation Answ 1 The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may well bee rendred about the same thing or for the same end and purpose n. to partake of Gods Ordinances Diodate saith to verse 31. yee may all prophesie c. namely by course and in divers or several Assemblies So saith Estius The Prophets were to prophesie in divers Assemblies and therefore it is said Let your Women keep silence in the Churches 2 I suppose none will say that all the members of the Church of Corinth did speak with tongues for then what need of an Interpreter and yet the Church here spoken of did so 3 Therefore here is a clear pattern of a Representative Church The Prophets as distinguished from the rest of the members are called the Church 4 Here is a clear pattern of Prophets in combination with and subjection to their fellow Prophets Let the Prophets speak two or three and let the other judge verse 29. Obj. 2 1 Cor. 5.4 5. When you are gathered together to deliver such a one to Satan Therefore they were but one Congregation Answ 1 The Text speaks not of the gathering together of all the members of the Church of Corinth but of the meeting of the Church Officers to excommunicate the incestuous person Authoritative binding acts of rule and government belonging onely to Church-Officers as is granted by the most moderate and learned of the Congregational Brethren The Key of Authority and Rule saith Mr. Cotton is committed to the Elders of the Church Keyes p. 20. alibi and so the Act of Rule is made the proper act of their Office Christ gave the power of binding and loosing to all the Apostles and the Apostles committed it to the Elders The power of the people is a power of liberty to joyn with the Presbytery in casting out or cutting off But authoritative power they have not Temple measured p. 35 And saies Mr. Noys A necessity of members consent doth constitute a Church excessively Democratical and renders the Elders onely titular Governours Hence it appears there was no need of the presence of all the members of the Church of Corinth to excommunicate the incestuous person 2 The persons that met for this work were to meet with Pauls pastoral spirit this suits the Church Officers not the people 3 Paul chargeth it upon the ordinary members as their sin that they mourned not for that sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for their Elders neglect of discipline using the passive voice not the active as Mr. Rutherford observes whereby it appears that the members were patients rather than agents That some of the ordinary members were present at the excommunication may bee granted But that all the members of the Church of Corinth were present or bound so to bee cannot bee proved Nothing therefore is hence gained The Church of Antioch also appeareth to have consisted of divers Congregations 2 The Church of Antioch because of the multitude of labourers there Divers of the Teachers of Jerusalem come to Antioch being driven away by the persecution and the hand of the Lord was with them in bringing in Gentiles to joyn with the beleeving Jews Act. 11.19 20 21. They soon want more labourers Barnabas is sent to assist in the work verse 22. hee findes the work so great that hee fetcheth over Saul to assist him verse 25. Barnabas and Paul stay at Antioch a whole year teach much people and here Disciples are first called Christians verse 26 and returning they abode there a long time chap. 14.28 What more likely than that there were divers Congregations belonging to that Church since it needed so many Teachers and kept there so long men so eminent Planters of Churches Object Act. 14.27 When they had gathered the Church together Act. 15.30 the muâ—titude together Act. 11.26 they assembled themselves with the Church Answ The first Text may well bee understood of the Representative Church to wit the Elders by whom the multitude might at their set times of meeting for the use of publick Ordinances be informed And if wee should understand it of the whole Church the Text puts no necessity upon us of understanding it of their being all gathered into one and the same place They might bee gathered into their several meeting-places and there bee informed of the successe of the Messengers by several of them The two other Texts may also bee so understood The multitude might bee gathered and informed of the Epistle in their several meeting-places and Paul and Barnabas and the other Teachers might assemble with the Church in several meeting-places some in some and some in others From these Texts therefore nothing can be concluded to prove Antioch's a congregational Church 4 The Church of Rome The Church of Rome likewise appears to have been Presbyterial There was one congregation meeting in the house of Aquila and Priscilla Rom. 16.3 5. and two others meeting in other places vers 14 15. and there is ground to conclude that there were yet more Congregations belonging to that Church 1 Because Paul saluteth several in this Chapter that seem to have been Teachers in that Church vers 3 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. 2 The Faith of the Romans was spoken of throughout the whole world Rom. 1. which argueth them to have been a numerous Church 3 Their continuing sound in the faith for many years together when other famous Churches mouldered away argues the same Wee might also instance in the Churches of the Colossians Thessalonians Philippians But I shall for a conclusion mention the Churches of Asia 5 The seven Churches of Asia The seven Churches
Apostles should more than materially bind him And these Decrees are made by a joynt act of the Apostles Elders and Brethren difference in the order of their concurrence we grant but in the nature of the Act wee cannot grant but it will not bee granted that the Brethren did exercise an Act of Rule over other Churches To say that by the whole Church is meant the Synodical Church is without ground being built on the impossibility of the meeting of the Church of Jerusalem in one place which hath been refuted And if the Brethren were shut out from a concurrence of the same nature with the Elders will they say that the Elders of a Classical Presbytery at Jerusalem did exercise rule over all these Churches so far distant that could not be of their combination If vers 28. of laying a burden bee objected Let it bee considered whether there be not as much said of the assertion of the Pharisees ver 5 10. Thus if wee should grant Classical Eldership it will bee hard to grant any more with Scripture warrant But wee shall not grant these having proved the most numerous Churches to have been Congregational and called severally by the name of Church in the singular and the numerous Church of Corinth was not onely Congregational but had and exercised the power of the Keyes Paul wraps up Elders and people together in the exercise of discipline with a concurrence of the like nature And thus the whole fabrick of the Classical way falls to the ground Mr. P. as one observes is a man of growing scruples and hath much out-stript in them the Reverend New-England Congregational Brethren Keys chap. 6. and that in weighty points rejecting Ruling-Elders c. and here Synods Mr. Cotton tells him that Synods are an Ordinance of Christ grounding himself on Act. 15. saying 'T is a precedent for succeeding Ages And that they have power by the grace of Christ to command and injoyn the things to bee beleeved and done for which hee cites the express words of the Synodal letter vers 28. And that this power to binde burdens ariseth not onely materially from the weight of the things imposed but formally from the authority of the Synod as an Ordinance of Christ Adding that the fraternity have onely a power of liberty not of authority for which hee quotes Act. 16.4 And excepts from the power of a Synod onely the injoyning of things in their use indifferent not denying them power of Ordination and Excommunication But Mr. P. is an Independent of an higher form Let us consider what he saith 1 His first reason against the Synodicalness of this Assembly that wee Read not of a combination of Churches is untrue For the deputed Elders of the Church of Antioch combined with those of Jerusalem and there is no reason to exclude those of the Churches of Syria and Cilicia since the Decrees reach them and that not onely the Church of Antioch but also those Churches are subjected to them Will Mr. P. grant no more than what hee reads in express words 2 His second is as weak That we read of no forreigners there but those of Antioch and that they concurred not in the making of the Decrees For if there were no more forreigners yet forreigners they were but where doth hee read that the Elders of Syria and Cilicia were not joyned to them There is sufficient reason to conclude they were since the Decrees reach those Churches In saying that these forreigners concurred not in making the Decrees hee speaks clearly besides the book For they being Elders and at Jerusalem met with the Elders of that Church and hee being so punctual in holding no more than he reads in express words Let him see whether he can exclude them from those Texts vers 6 20 22 25 28. Act. 16.4 If the Forreigners were Elders certainly these texts include them and 't is one of the mysterious reaches of his wit to apprehend them excluded from the decision of the controversy by Act. 16.4 for were not the Forreigners Elders and were they not at Jerusalem and in the Assembly at the making of the Decrees how then doth this text exclude them 3 His third is frivolous That there was no appeal from the censure of the Church at Antioch Grant there had passed no formal censure which is more than hee can prove might they not appeal for the deciding of what was debated and which there could bee no joynt agreement upon His fancied main end of their applying themselves to the Church of Jerusalem to get satisfaction that there was the same doctrin taught at Jerusalem that was at Antioch sheweth that hee looketh on the Chapter through spectacles of pre-occupation Else hee would have seen that comming about the Question of difference vers 2. and the Apostles and Elders comming together to consider of the matter ver 6. and together decreeing and laying a burden upon the Churches concerned vers 28. must needs evince that the main end was to have the question authoritatively decided The knowing of the minde and practice of the Church of Jerusalem needed not all this work Paul and others might have informed the Church of Antioch of it before Any Messengers sent might soon have certified them of it Those that came might without such a solemn convening have been assured of it The Apostles and Elders in their Epistles shew not that they minded such an end chiefly in assembling For though they disown the erroneous Teachers doctrine and declare that they gave them no incouragement for it in those words To whom wee gave no such commandement which is all that Mr. P. can build upon yet they clearly manifest that the end of their convening was upon the hearing the difference in the Church of Antioch to decide the Question authoritatively and that the end of sending chosen men with Barnabas and Paul was to give them the greater assurance of this decision as the dependance of the 28. vers on the 27. by the illative for doth clearly shew 4 His fourth is a huddle of groundlesse surmises Here was hee saith no Rule exercised because 't would bee a diminution of Pauls Apostolical Authority But Paul acted not then as an Apostle but as an Elder of the Church of Antioch When the Elders there could not prevail against the corrupt Teachers and their Doctrin they have recourse to a Synod joyning themselves as Elders to the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem giving herein an example of the right way of healing Church-divisions that cannot bee remedied in the respective Churches to the end of the world The Apostles themselves acted not meerly as Apostles but as members of the Synod yielding to a fair dispute on both sides Next hee saith The Brethren concurred with the Apostles and Elders in making the Decrees therefore there was no rule exercised thereby for it will not bee granted by us that the Brethren can exercise an act of rule over other Churches
Independents understood that in 1 Cor. 5. the Apostle wraps up Elders and People together in the exercise of Discipline with a concurrence of the like nature nor hath any Church during that time that wee read of unless those of the Donatists practised by it And therefore well may Beza say Quod nounulli ex hac vocula congregatis colligunt Beza in locum totius Ecclesiae coetum in judiciis omnibus Ecclesiasticis convenisse suffragium tulisse neque ratione neque ullo exemplo nititur excommunicationis jus penes Pastores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuit What difference between the Episcopal and Presbyterial Government wherein doth their constitution differ P. 45 46 47 48 except in the exorbitant power of a chair-man What difference between the Universal Church of the Papists and that of the Presbyterians There is an easie transition from Presbytery to Episcopacy yea Papacy they agree much in nature and therefore I have put them together as also Mr. Bains Diocesan Tryal q. 1. p. 21. Those who subject themselves to a Presbytery saith hee as being under it by subordination may in effect as well be subject to an Episcopal and by consequence I say to a Papal consistory Os hominis With what face can Mr. P. put these questions Do the Episcopal and Presbyterial Government differ onely in regard of the power of a chair-man Do not the patrons of the former attribute all power to the Bishop in his Dioces excluding the Ministers of the several Congregations in matters of Discipline And do not the Presbyterians assert that all Ministers have equal power and is this difference onely circumstantial and the transition from one to the other so easie And as to the Universal Church is not the difference between Papists and Presbyterians vast whilst the one do restrain it to the Romanists that own the Papal doctrines the other extend it to all that embrace the fundamental truths of Christian Religion and renounce the abominations of Rome is Mr. P. so mean a scholar that hee doth not know as to the point in hand what Universal and particular are Doth not the Papists referring the root and head of their Universality to Rome make their Church a particular Church as our Champions against them have fully evinced and is this no considerable difference that the Presbyterians do the contrary The one subject it to the Pope or to a general Council of Pontificial Bishops convened by and presided in by the Pope The others to a general Council of the Elders of the Christian Churches throughout the world assembling in the name of Christ as the sole head of the Church Did I love to recriminate might I not with more reason say that Mr. P's way borders upon and that there is an easie transition from it to Donatism Brownism Anabaptism Familism Quakism Libertinism and confusion and that it opens a door to the setting up and nourishing of all sects errours heresies false worship and blasphemies even the Roman themselves For under the notion of Independentism of that degree as his is especially may any thing shelter it self and therefore the Roman Factors usually say that in England Presbyterianism is a great hinderance but Independentism a wonderful help to them in their gaining Proselytes to the Roman Church But if you were resolved to say your worst of Presbyterians as the greatest opposers of your Democracy yet why must you abuse the Reverend name of Mr. Bains whom you pretend to bee altogether of your side and obtrude upon the Reader a palpable untruth concerning his concent with you in putting Episcopacy and Presbytery together as having little or no difference between them It is not Mr. Bains that puts Episcopacy and Presbytery together but the Objection of the Episcopal party p. 3. which Mr. Bains answers here p. 21. and in his answers repeats the terms of the Objection and shews the invalidity of it 1 By telling them that they mis-apprehended the practice of the Churches of Geneva They have saies hee power of governing themselves but for greater edification voluntarily confederate not to use nor exercise their power but with mutual communication in that common Presbytery 2 It is saith hee one thing for Churches to subject themselves to a Bishop and Consistory wherein they shall have no power of suffrage another thing to communicate with such a Presbytery wherein themselves are members and Judges with others 3 Say saies hee they had no power nor were no members in that Presbytery yet it is one thing to submit themselves to the government of Aristocracy another to the Bishops Monarchical Government for while his Presbyters are but as Counsellers to a King though hee consulteth with them hee alone governeth Let the Reader now judge whether Mr. P. hath Mr. Bains on his side in saying What difference between the Episcopal and Presbyterial Government and whether hee hath ground to say that because they agree much in nature Mr. Bains hath put them together when as they are his Objectors that do it whom hee answers and confutes This makes mee remember a pleasant passage in Kekermans Eccles Rhet. l. 2. c. ult A young Theologue reciting his Postil to the people at a time when there was health within their walls and inveighing therein against some sins broke out at last into this expression hence it is that God hath visited you and your families with the plague which rageth already every where in our streets The people stood amazed at this report and when Sermon was ended the Praetor of the place enquired of the Preacher in what families or houses the plague was broken forth who answered whether the plague bee in our Town or not so I found it it in my Postil Such an account is Mr. P. able to give of Mr. Bains his consent with him in putting Presbytery and Episcopacy together as having no difference between them in their constitution Whether the words of the Objection which put them together bee Mr. Bains words or express his mind or not hee found them printed in his book And now because Mr. P. by mentioning thus Mr. Bains doth intimate to the Reader that his doctrine hath a full friend in him It is to bee considered that though Mr. Bains in his dispute against and opposition to Diocesan Episcopal Churches doth plead for Independency of Churches yet as hee judged the difference between Episcopacy and Presbyterial dependent Government very great So doth hee fully declare against that Democratical Government in Churches which most of the Independents of our daies and Mr. P. among them do plead for and doth very fully assert the whole power of Government into the hands of the Elders in many places of that book I shall cite some of them to make Mr. P. do penance P. 80. on Matth. 18. Christ doth not by the name of Church understand essentially all the Congregation for then Christ should not give some but all the members of the Church to
be Governours of it Christ speaketh it of such a Church to whom wee may ordinarily and orderly complain now this cannot be to the whole multitude This Church hee speaketh of hee doth presuppose it as the ordinary executioner of all Discipline and censure But the multitude have not this execution as all but Morelius and such Democratical spirits do affirm P. 81. The Church in the Old Testament noteth an assembly of Priests sitting together as Judges in the causes of God and Christ doth here onely presuppose the joynt authority and joynt execution of a representative Church a Presbytery of Elders who were Pastors and Governours P. 82. The Apostles in determining the Question Act. 15. had the joynt-suffrages of the Presbytery with them because it was a thing to be determined by many all who mark that had received power of the Keyes doing it ex officio and others from discretion and duty of confessing the truth P. 83. Ordinary power with the execution thereof was not given to the Community of the Church or to the whole multitude of the faithful so that they were the immediate and first receptacle receiving it from Christ and vertually deriving it to others P. 84. Ordinary power of Ministerial Government is committed with the execution of it to the Senate or Presbytery of the Church If any fail in any office mark that the Church hath not power of supplying that but a Ministery of calling one whom Christ hath described that from Christ hee may have power of office given him in the place vacant So much for Mr. P's correction One thing more I have to consider and so shall end this Section P. 46. Let it be seriously considered that the Bishop of Rome is not reckoned the Antichrist from what time hee got the peaceable possession of his Universal Bishoprick But from what time hee aspired to and carried it ambitiously and had it usually yeelded to him to sway Bishops and Churches at his pleasure Wee have considered it and finde no very good sense in it For when hee had it usually yeelded to him to sway Bishops and Churches at his pleasure hee had the peaceable possession of his universal Bishoprick And as to what you mean that hee did aspire to an Universal headship long before hee was possessed of it and that from that time of aspiring hee is reckoned Antichrist you bring no Scripture nor reason for it but onely quote a place of Mr. Cotton as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would do the deed Now what saies Mr. Cotton The head was in conception long before Phocas his grant True for 't was in conception in the Apostles daies and yet I suppose he would not say the Bishop of Rome was Antichrist then Is it likely the Holy Ghost should speak of him as of a formed apparent compleat head so visible that all the world should wonder after the Beast upon the hearing of it whilst hee was but yet in his conception And it is certain there was not any claim laid by the Bishops of Rome to the Vniversal headship any long time before it was possessed by them The first that laid claim to it was not the Bishop of Rome but John the fourth sirnamed the Faster Bishop of Constantinople about the year 580. six and twenty years before the matter was determined by Phocas for the Bishop of Rome in the year 606. The Bishop of Rome at the same time strongly opposing and disputing against the name and title of Universal Bishop as the name of the Beast and a new and prophane title contrary to the scope of the Gospel which none of his Predecessors did ever use Saying that whosoever calleth himself or desireth to bee called Greg. Magn. lib. 6. Ep. 30. lib. 4. Ep. 34 38. the Universal Priest or Bishop is the fore-runner of Antichrist and that in regard the said John did assume it it appeared that the time of Antichrist was now at hand And to that John hee saith What wilt thou answer to Christ in the tryal of the day of judgement seeing that by this name Universal thou seekest to inthral the members of his body to thy self What Mr. P. proceeds to say upon his supposition is not worth the considering and so I come to see how well hee answers the objections that hee considers as made against his separating device SECT VI. An examination of Mr. P's Answers to the Objections hee mentions as made against his doctrine of Separation and of his Reasons for Separation OBject 1 It will bee said this way of separation that you press P. 49 50 51 52 nulls all at least the most part of the reformed Churches in the world Answ This tends not to null or make void the faith of true beleevers that shall bee found in the aforesaid waies of Church-order I deny not their faith whereby by they are of the Mystical Church and accordingly destroy not their Mystical Churchdome but assert that though their faith hee Christian their order is Antichristian I deny them to bee such Churches as Christ hath instituted and to bee the Candlesticks that stand before the God of the earth Some have had power to set up Christs order in the face and to the teeth of the Beast though they were slain for it Such was the Congregation in Queen Maries time which Mr. Fox mentions and those hundred persons which Mr. Cotton mentions Congr Way cleared p. 4. that were in Queen Elizabeths days 1576. 'T is one thing for Churches to bee looked upon as Churches in point of salvation another thing for them to bee looked upon as Churches in respect of outward constitution in the former account wee cannot but give the right hand of fellowship to all that look to no other way of salvation but by the blood of the Lambe in the latter account wee can give the right hand of fellowship onely to those that are after the heavenly pattern Answ Hee needed not to say that his way nulls at least the most part of the reformed Churches for it clearly nulls them all The Churches of his way and principles being not to bee numbered among the Reformed Churches since they renounce them and account them Antichristian So that his way clearly nulls all the reformed Churches in the world at this day yea generally all the Churches that have disowned the Papal Church of Rome throughout the ages since the rise of it His Answer whereby hee would salve the matter is exceeding frivolous and childish Hee denies not the faith of true beleevers in reformed Churches nor their mystical Churchdome But what is that to the purpose whilst hee denies them to be Churches of Christ and to bee the candlesticks that stand before the God of the earth by which hee weakly understands Churches of which Sect. 4. doth hee not utterly null them as Churches Neither will that passage shield him wherein hee clearly contradicts himself that 't is one thing for Churches to bee
then his injunctions might have been deferred till their time which I hope we shall never see But consider we a little what he doth enjoyn First take away Parishes by an Act of State the Ecclesiasticalness of them But no Reason that he hath urged against them hitherto will warrant it What says he now for it Hezekiah brake the brazen Serpent because the Children of Israel did Idolize it Josiah demolished the Altar of Bethel and the high place there Rare arguing What analogy is there between these things Are Protestant Parish-congregations idolatrously worshipped because whilst Rome was owned in them they were Idolatrous are they to be demolished now that they renounce it and own Gods true worship Are they like the Altar of Bethel and the High-places against Divine institution in place of being and means of worship For place Churches are now confined to no set place as that of the Jews was then but may any where be made up of co-habiting professors of Christianity For the means of worship let the Reader judge whether he hath proved our Churches Idolatrous And what would this Arguer say I trow from his instances against those Protestant Churches that are not Parishional in France c. made up of Professors whose dwellings are scattered in the Popish Parishes in compasses near to their meeting-places Must they be taken away by an Act of State too if such a one could be procured there Next our Temples feel his wrath Away with all those Consecrated places for Worship P. 70. 71 those holds of Mahuzzim Daemons or Saint-Gods as Mede expounds them may monuments of Idolatry be better endured than heretofore The argument for the demolishing of these is perpetual and so the precept Deut. 7.5 6 25 26. the reason why they are suffered is want of zeal as is hinted by Master Cotton Vial the 7. p. 14. I fear Mr. P's zeal is as misguided as that Luke 9.54 55. want of due consideration and the power of prejudice and wrath doe it is to be feared kindle his zeal For are our Temples holds of Mahuzzim now Is any Saint-God but the holy Trine-une-God worshipped and owned in them as their Protector and Defender How untrue is Mr. P's insinuation of it Surely learned Mede is much abused by him as are most of the Non-congregational Authors whom he quotes in being made from that expression he mentions to account our Temples holds of Mahuzzim whereas he intends it only for the Romish Temples where Saints are worshipped distinguishing Protestants from Papists p. 101. True Christians have with David one Mahoz but apostate Christians have their many Mahuzzims and how much he was for the holiness of our Churches as places not Idolatrous and prophane his tract bearing that name with that of the reverence of Gods house and several other places in his works doe sufficiently demonstrate to shame Mr. P. if he be not perfrictae frontis But sayes Mr. P. They are monuments of Idolatry and may they be better endured than heretofore Here he reasons strangely for if because they were heretofore abused to Idolatry they may not be used now without Idolatry but must be pulled down then the Temple should have been destroyed and not used for the performing of the worship of God in it by Josiah because Manasseh his father had set up Idolatrous Altars for all the Host of Heaven and a carved Image in it 2 Chron. 33.4 5 7. but he neither pulls down nor scrupleth worshipping in the Temple when he had purged it which yet he should have done by Mr. P's doctrine because his father had made it a monument of Idolatry In times near the Primitive Christians scrupled not to use for Christian worship Temples before used for the worship of Pagan gods when they came to be in their power neither I beleeve would the Apostle Paul who preached upon Mars-hil have scrupled to have used them for the worship of God if they had been in the hands of Christians in his time About the text in Deut. however confidently he build his Temple-demolishing doctrine upon it he is much deceived and hath need to be taught that the reason of those precepts for the destroying of the Canaanites places and means of worship and not using them in Gods service was that God had purposed and appointed that there should be but one only place in the whole Land of Israel to which they were to bring their gifts offerings and sacrifices as the Levitical Law required which is expresly told us Deut. 12.1 to 8. And we find that that precept Deut. 7. did not bind them to demolish and reject from being used in Gods service whatsoever was abused to undue worship The Censers of the two hundred and fifty that should not have offered incense were made broad plates for the covering of the Altar Numb 16.39 and the Censers that Nadab and Abihu put strange fire in were not that we read of cast away and made no use of in the Tabernacle and therefore probably Eleazar and Ithamar that succeeded used them Our Temples many of them had a being before the Popish religion prevailed in our Land and some of them have been built since it was removed and had they been all erected during the prevalency of that religion yet their use being changed to the worshipping and religious honouring of God alone they are no more holds of Mahuzzim but Temples of Christ As to Mr. Cottons opinion which he mentions it is built upon exceeding slender grounds He p. 9. 14. doth expound Revel 16.20 thus By Islands are meant Church-yards and ther grounds consecrated by Popish devotions by Mountains Cathedral Churches and all those high places that over-top the people of God Hence he concludes when the zeal of God lifts up the hearts of his people they will not endure a Consecrated place in the world With reverence to Mr. Cottons piety and learning let the judicious Reader judge whether any thing may not bee said and inferred at this rate of interpreting Never did any man in the Christian Church so interpret this text neither can it in any reason be thought to be the sense of the Holy Ghost but rather that Islands and Mountaines are put for places of strength and the powers in them wherein Rome relies and which in the overthrow of Babylon though she look for help from them are not able to afford it her but fall as many as adhere to her under ruin themselves which is that the generality of the best Interpreters understand by it But would you think that Mr. P. that inveighs thus against our Temples should use them himself He tells us plainly that he not only hath done and doth but also hints that hee intends to continue so to doe and that with the help of this pretty distinction I confess were it not to cry out against the Altar at Bethel P. 71 72 81. and gain an advantage of speaking that otherwise I cannot have after
instructed and reproved Mr. L. one of his chief members who not long ago sinned against his Antipatronical doctrin For enquiring what course hee should take to bee settled in the Living where hee was hee in whose right hee held it being deceased and being answered by mee that hee must have recourse to the Patron Though hee then much inveighed against Patrons and declared that hee would have no recourse to him nor use him in this matter yet hee soon after addressed himself to him and procured himself to bee presented by him Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames The Text Act. 14.23 whence Mr. P. queries Durst Paul and Barnabas impose a Minister on the people is mistaken by him but for once he doth not wrong the Presbyterian Author he quotes p. 72 73 which is a rare vertue with him about the import of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is true that Reverend Calvin Beza and some others say that Paul and Barnabas are by this word to be deemed to have put the Election of the Elders to the suffrages of all in the Churches But others not a few nor mean hold that as they were Elders themselves and more than Elders so they chose and ordained Elders for the Churches by vertue of their Office as best able to appoint to them therein and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referres not to the peoples chusing by lifting up of hands but to the act of Paul and Barnabas who by imposition of hands ordained them Elders Scriptores Ecclesiastici saith Marlorat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usurpant pro solemni Ordination is ritu qui in Scripturis vocatur manuum impositio And indeed by the imposition of the hands of the Presbytery were Ministers put into office 1 Tim. 4.14 5.22 And as yet I have not seen one example of weight produced from Scripture of a Minister Pastor or Elder chosen by the people much lesse thereby constituted a Minister That Text Act. 1.21 c. reacheth not the case for the Apostleship is allotted to Matthias not by the choice of the Disciples but by divine decision and if the choice had been by the Disciples yet they were not all the Beleevers in Jerusalem but onely the one hundred and twenty who were all Ministers as hath been before evinced Act. 6 1. to 6. concludes nothing in the case in hand neither for probable it is as hath been shewed that the Deacons were not chosen by the multitude of the Disciples at Jerusalem but by the Presbytery and if they were chosen by the people it makes nothing here for it speaks not ad idem There is a wide difference between a Deacon and a Pastor though it were left to people to chuse their own Deacons yet it cannot hence bee concluded that de jure divino people have power to chuse their own Ministers Let Mr. P. consider what the Author whom he elsewhere so unhappily leans upon saies to this n. Mr. Bains in a place already quoted If any saies hee fail in any Office Diocesan Trial p. 84. Conc. 4. the Church hath not power of supplying that but a Ministery of calling one whom Christ hath described that from Christ hee may have power of Office given him in the place vacant Let the world as well as the Church p. 74 bee supplyed with Ministers according to Christ's institution But then say I they must not bee supplied with such as your self gifted brethren unordained for these are not Compleat Ministers according to Christs institution of which more afterwards And you have given no solid reason why presented Ministers that are tryed approved of ordained and sent to Congregations to administer Christs Ordinances should not bee in your account Ministers according to Christs institution That which is stuck at is the rights and properties of Patrons the taking away these is looked upon as a peece of injustice Remember Pharaoh King of Egypt and Sihon King of Heshbon how their hearts were hardened by abuse of righteous principles urging them against Gods command Mr. P. hath not yet produced a Command of God against Patrons properties And 't is a mystery to mee how Pharaoh can bee said to have stuck to righteous principles in oppressing so grievously the Israelites by whose means hee and his land had been saved from famine and refusing to let those injoy their liberty by whom hee and his land injoyed life and freedome Mr. P. hath a strange art in reasoning if hee can make it out that Pharaoh acted towards the Israelites as hee did from righteous principles I am sorry for men in these daies that make it a ground to break up Parliaments p. 75. and make Ordinances to preserve the right of Patrons c. Neither was that Parliament which Mr. P. intends broken up properly by any power but their own Nor was the reason of their dissolution either wholly or chiefly the preserving of the rights and properties of Patrons But the Committee having presented to this Parliament these proposals 1 That Commissioners bee sent down into the Counties and enabled to eject scandalous and unable Ministers and settle able Ministers in void places 2 That such as are or shall bee approved for publick Preachers of the Gospel shall have and injoy such maintenance as is already settled by Law 3 That upon hearing and considering what hath been offered to the Committee touching propriety of Tythes of Incumbents Rectors Possessors of Donatives or appropriate Tythes It is the opinion of the Committee that the said persons have a Legal propriety in Tythes Instead of concurring with the Honourable Committee a Party in this Parliament resolve 1 To put out of Office all the Ministers in the Land 2 To abolish the maintenance of Ministers by Tythes no other maintenance being provided in the stead thereof 3 That no Ministers should have been capable of being admitted to exercise their Ministery that would not have renounced their former call to the Ministery and taken up a new call from the People Hereupon the Major part with the Speaker resign up their power into his Excellencies hands whence they had it foreseeing that confusion and much evil would have ensued upon the execution of such Counsels Mr. P. would it seems have rejoyced to have seen them executed But not onely Presbyterians but also Independents that are not of his form blesse that hand of providence that disappointed them Sad would that day have been to England that should have brought forth the fruits of them His bitter insinuation that Patrons presenting p. 75. doth oblige Ministers to daub with untempered mortar and sew pillows under their elbows is very uncharitable and unreasonable Godly Ministers will bee rather ingaged by being presented to labour to edify the souls of Patrons And were Ministers chosen by the people and cast off by them when they please as Mr. P. would have it they would lye thereby under a far greater temptation
Ministry from Antichristianism as I am confident can never be fairly answered Mr. P. as his manner is in other points takes no notice of what they or others have said in this argument But cries out Antichristian Ministers Antichrists Brokers c. How easy is it but how unreasonable and absurd thus to keep fresh and renew charges without removing the answers that have taken them off And upon what ground can men that act so expect that any notice bee taken of what they say But one good turn is that Mr. P. in this charging book answers himself and saies that which doth in effect establish the mentioned Plea for the validity of our Ordination and Ministry When Ordinances saith hee page 53. are but circumstantially corrupted wee cannot reject them no more than the Israelites could reject the Ark because it was carried in a Cart of the Philistims making And hee instanceth in Baptism in which though much were added as Annointing Crossing c. yet the essentials were retained whilst it alwaies was administred by washing sprinkling or dipping in water in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Let any man now apply this to our Ordination and Ministry and see whether it will not fit them as well as Baptism The essentials of Ordination have been alwaies retained Ministers being ordained by Ministers of the Gospel with Prayer and imposition of hands according to Christs institution Act. 13.1 2 3. 1 Tim. 4.14 5.22 Therfore though some Circumstantial Corruptions cleaved to our Ordination received through Rome yet according to Mr. P's own conclusion wee may not renounce it Neither can hee say any thing against the validity of Ordination so received which will not equally strike at Baptism received through Rome also Our Ministers are no more Antichristian Ministers or Antichrists Brokers because they received their Ordination through Rome than those that have undergone the Ordinance of Baptism among us and Mr. P. among them are Antichrists Christians or Antichristian baptised persons because the Ordinance came to them through Rome Wee must saith hee own our Baptism received in the Church of Rome and is there not as much ground to say wee must own our Ordination received in the Church of Rome Especially in England which had a true and pure Ministry in primitive times as the Congregational Brethren confess Now this Ministry for the Essentialness of it hath been derived successively to our times wherein it is purged from those corruptions that did during the prevalency of Popery cleave unto it And our Ministry thus derived can no more bee called an Antichristian Ministry than the Ministry and Priest-hood of those Priests under the Law that were consecrated during the prevalency of Idolatrey in that Church or of those that succeeded them could bee called when the service of the Lord was restored in purity and they attended upon it a Heathen Ministry or Priesthood 2 Though I account that answer good and strong and beleeve that our accusers will never bee able to remove it Yet I conceive wee need not grant them so much as that our Ministery is descended to us through Rome The Congregational Brethren say some of them that wee are Antichristian Ministers because wee received our Ordination from Rome Papists say wee are not Christian Ministers because wee do not receive our Ordination from Rome Well let those two parties dispute it out Wee need not trouble our selves with the controversy Wee may assert the Christianity of our Ministery upon another account which is this The Ministers of the Protestant Reformed Churches have their Doctrinal and Lineal Succession from the hands of Christ and his Apostles FROM and THROUGH the hands of the witnesses prophecying in Sackcloath during Antichrists reign To evidence this let it bee considered 1 That there have been true Churches of Christ in the World yea in the territories and Nations where Antichrist hath prevailed more or fewer all along the time of his reign to this last age maintaining the profession and Ordinances of the Gospel of Christ in opposition to his corruptions though he hath persecuted and sought to destroy them for it And among these those of Bohemia and the Waldenses and Albigenses are famously known to have continued a long while Enemies themselves acknowledge concerning these last that in all likelihood they had their beginning though possibly under other names near the time of the Apostles 2 That in these Churches considered in their order of time there was both a Doctrinal and lineal succession from Christ and his Apostles unto the rise of the Churches called Protestant 3 That the Protestant Reformers and the Churches that with-drew with them from Rome did own the same fundamental truthes in Doctrine and Discipline that those did as sufficiently appears by the History of the Waldenses and the conferences that passed between the Protestant Reformers and them about it 4 That although whereas it is certain that the Waldenses being by persecution scattered did sow the seeds of the true religion in sundry Countries where afterwards Protestant Churches were established which did lay a ground-work for their arising we have not much evidence of the Protestant Ministers receiving Ordination from their Ministers yet wee are assured from the Histories of those times that there was a very cheerful and unanimous consent between those Waldensian Churches and the Protestant Churches and a full concurring in matters of Doctrin Worship Discipline and Ministry as also there was for the main between the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas and ours afterwards in England in their time of Reformation Now in cases so extraordinary as those of the Protestant Churches in their first rising were the right hand of fellowship which some of the Congregational Brethren judge in ordinary cases sufficient being given in effect to the Ministery of beyond-sea Protestant Churches by the Ministery of those former Churches and to the Ministery of our Churches by the Ministery of those Protestant Churches may well bee thought enough to supply the want and stand in the room of formal Ordination from them And this Ministery of Protestant Churches received from Christ through the Witnesses prophecying in Sack-cloath hath been since continued by formal Ordination both beyond Seas and among us as that which in fixed Churches and where it may be had compleatly is of necessity according to the rule of the Word to be maintained and used formally for the continuation of a Gospel Ministry SECT 12. A Question discussed Whether any unordained persons among us are lawful and compleat Ministers of the Gospel With An Answer to the six Arguments for Popular Ordination brought by the Answerers of Jus Div. Min. Evangelici in their Book called The Preacher sent VVHilst Mr. P. and the Congregational Brethren of his form are so forward to condemn our Ministry as Antichristian it will bee hard for them to free their own from that charge This proposition I will engage to make good Those Preachers that are