The Utter Routing of the Whole Army of All the Independents and Sectaries
Now by the holy Scripture we are truly informed there were millions of true believers in the Church of Jerusalem at that very time, and that they were the Ministers only that were present together on the day of Pentecost, and that the other Believers were in their other meeting places: yea, besides those that I have now named, it is said in the same Chapter, verse 5. that (at that instant of time) there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven, that is true Worshippers, and Believers: here therefore must needs be an innumerable company of these, and all these were then Inhabitants in Jerusalem: so that the Holy Scripture doth by many witnesses prove there were more then a hundred and twenty Believers, or more then a hundred thousand in Jerusalem at that time, how therefore with any honesty can the Independents conclude from Epi to auto, that there were no more Believers then in Jerusalem, nor ever after, then could all meet in one Congregation? If this be not to fight against God, there was never any fighting against him. But should I yield unto them, which I cannot do for many reasons, that there were no more Believers at that time in Jerusalem, then did or could all meet in any one place; will it follow in any sound understanding that they could ever after all still meet in one Congregation, when they were infinitely daily increased? I trow not; for so to speak, and so to argue and conclude, would be but to prove fighters against all reason; yea against God himself (as I said before) and to deny the express Scriptures, as will forthwith appear; for in the same Chapter when there were but three thousand new Converts added to the Church, it is said that then that company could not all meet in any one place to communicate in all acts of worship, but for want of a place spacious enough for to break bread in, they were forced then to meet in divers places, and to divide themselves into several Assemblies and Congregations, and that in several houses; for so saith the Scripture, verse 46. and they continued daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house; that is, in many several houses, they had their meetings to communicate in; therefore at that very time there were many Congregations of Believers, so that they could not possibly meet altogether in one place. And here by the way it is good to take notice, not only that there were many Congregations of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem, which the Independents confess to be the first formed Church, and that when there were but three thousand new Converts added to the Disciples, but that all these were speedily and readily received into Church-fellowship, and that by the sole and alone authority of the Apostles, so that it was not required at their hands, that they should first walk sometime with the Church before their admission, or that they should make a particular confession of their faith, or bring in the evidences of their conversion, or that they should enter into any particular explicit Covenant, or that they must have the consent of the Church before they could be received into Church-fellowship; nothing I say of all this was either practiced in this Mother-church, or any Daughter-church in the Primitive and purest times; but these two truths are most certainly evident out of the Scripture.
The first, that all Christians in the church of Jerusalem were admitted into Church-fellowship upon their repenting, believing and being baptized, without any other conditions, and that upon offering themselves.
The second truth is this, that there were many congregations and Assemblies of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem at that instant time, which is abundantly proved out of the testimonies and reasons above specified, and those express words, where it is said that they brake bread from house to house; therefore there were many Congregations then.
But it will farther more illustriously yet appear, if we consider the divers other additions of Believers, and that daily unto the Church of Jerusalem: for in the last verse of this chapter it is said that the Lord added daily unto the Church such as should be saved; here we find additions upon additions of Believers, and that daily, indefinitely set down, as if they could not easily have been told, which addeth no small Emphasis unto the expression; and all these were admitted into Church-fellowship without any of those conditions the Independents require of all their Members in these our times; for it is said the Lord added daily unto the Church such as should be saved; and therefore he did it only upon his own terms of Repentance, Faith and Baptism. Now what understanding man can easily believe that when there was such daily increase of Believers made, that they could all still meet in any one place or Congregation to partake in all Ordinances? But if we look into the fourth chapter, we shall find another new Addition, and that of five thousand men more, besides women; for so saith the Scripture, verse 4. Howbeit, many of them which heard the word believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand. Now if when there were but three thousand, they were then forced for want of a convenient place spacious enough to communicate in, to divide themselves into divers several houses; how impossible a thing was it for them all daily then to meet together in any one place or congregation, may any one imagine, when there were not only daily additions of Believers, but five thousand men more added unto the Church at one time? without all controversy it was impossible that they could all then meet together in any one place; and for farther confirmation of this truth, and for the putting of this controversy forever out of doubt, the Holy Ghost saith in the fifth chapter, verse 14. And Believers were more added unto the Church, multitudes both of men and women. Mark I pray the expression, multitudes: Now by multitude, all men know is to be understood, and that in all Languages, a very great Assembly or congregation, or company; whereupon the Scripture saith, follow not a multitude to do evil, so that by multitude is ever understood some vast Assembly or Congregation of people; and here the Scripture saith, speaking in the plural number that multitudes, and that both of men and women were added to the Lord, that is to say many great Congregations and Assemblies were added to the Church; yea, the expression doth as it were intimate that they came in so fast that they could not now any longer be counted as it were by retayle or enumerate companies, as when they came in by small numbers, as three thousand and five thousand at a time which might easily be told and reckoned, but that now they came into the Church in such great bodies, as they were forced to set them down by whole sale; and therefore the Holy Ghost saith, that Believers were added unto the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, that is to say many great Congregations of Believers of both sexes; yea, and that there might yet be no mistake in this business, the Scripture saith in the last verse of this chapter, for the great multitudes of them, that the Apostles daily in the Temple, and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. So that here by the testimony of the Holy Ghost we are ascertained there were divers and several Congregations of Believers at that time in the Church of Jerusalem; for they had their meetings not only in the Temple, but in every house, or from house to house, which is all one that is to say, they had many Congregations and Assemblies of Believers at that time in several private houses, as well as in the Temple; so that this truth being confirmed unto us not only by reason, but by the mouth of so many infallible witnesses, as that out of the second chapter, where it is said they brake bread daily from house to house, and two more witnesses also in this fifth chapter, where it is recorded, verse 14. that multitudes both of men and women, that is to say many great Congregations of Believers of both sexes were added to the Lord, and in the last verse, that there might be yet no scruple made of the business, the places of their meetings are also expressed, viz. in the Temple and in every house; so that all good Christians are bound to believe that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Believers at that time in the Church of Jerusalem, and therefore more then could all possibly meet in any one place or congregation.
So that if I should say no more, the truth concerning this point is so evidently apparent to all judicious and understanding men, that they cannot doubt of it, except they will deny the Scripture it self; yet that the truth concerning this controversy may yet more fully be cleared, I shall for the farther coroborrating of it and for confirmation of the same, produce a few testimonies more.
In the sixth chapter, verse 7. The word of the Lord increased, (saith the Holy Ghost) and the number of Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith. Here we find multiplication upon multiplication of Believers, and more additions of them, and that in Jerusalem, and amongst these multitudes there was a great company of Priests, that is a great company of their Ministers and learned Rabbies were converted, and all these several admissions of Believers into this Church of Jerusalem were without any of the conditions those of the congregational way require now of their new Members; for it is not said, that they demanded of them that they should walk some time with them before their admission, or that they should make any public confession of their faith, or bring in the evidences of their conversion, or enter into any particular explicit Covenant, or come in by the consent of the people before their admission; nothing of all these things were required at their hands in this Mother-church; and therefore all the practice of this kind of admission in our new Congregations is without any president or example; and therefore those of the congregational way do most wickedly to pretend they have the Church of Jerusalem for an example for their practice of admitting of Members.
But I say the thing chiefly to be observed here is the multiplication and the increase of many more Disciples to the former, adding withal, that amongst those Disciples and Converts that were added to the Lord there was a great company of the Priests: now what an increase of Believers may any man suppose there must then needs follow, when so many of their Ministers were converted? without doubt when the people saw their Priests turn Christians, and heard them also in their preachings give in their reasons for their embracing of the Gospel, and saw withal the daily miracles of the Apostles for the confirmation of this their doctrine they did infinitely multiply; so that if there had been no conversion of men before spak of, yet the conversion of these very Priests in a short time would have procured the conversion of many more then could have met in any one place or a few; and this all reason will persuade; for we find it by hourly experience, how many hundreds are daily mislead, and seduced by the error of a few temporising unstable Presbyters, who are turned Independents, and what a deal of mischief they have done here amongst us, so that not a few places can contain their Proselytes, and all this without the help of any miracles; and we see daily, if but any rich and crazed Gentlewoman, or any confounded Lady turn Independent, or if but any unstable man of any eminency revolt from the Presbyterian way, what a noise there is by and by made at it, and how many giddy headed men, and women especially, are seduced by it, and that without any prodigies: Now I say all reason will persuade any intelligible man that truth should much more prevail then error, and that in the hands of so great a multitude, and of such learned Rabbies, and those also in so great honor and esteem amongst the people, having withal the help of Miracles amongst them, and that to the speedy conversion of many thousands; yea, the Scripture saith, that the Word of God increased, that is to say converted many, and that the number of Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, not in a small manner; and that a great company of the Priests were also added unto the Lord; so that if there were a great Congregation and Assembly of the Priests, as the Word of God relateth; there must necessarily be many more Congregations of the ordinary people, and all these are to be yet reckoned upon a new account, and upon a new List, so that there were numberless Congregations of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem, if any credit may be given to the Holy Scripture, and that in the very infancy of the Church: so that I am most confident, that this truth is now evident and perspicuous to all those that have but ordinary understanding.
But because this is the only business, as the Independents say, and that will put an end to this controversy between us; for they have often said, prove once but clearly unto us out of the Word of God that there were many Congregations of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem, and then we will grant you the day; I say in this regard I shall briefly add some other Arguments to prove there were more Believers in the Church of Jerusalem then could all possibly meet in any one Congregation or a few: for to these that were daily converted and added to the Church, we hear upon all occasions of additions upon additions, and of increase upon increase of many more Believers: for in the ninth chapter, verse 31. it is recorded, that the Churches having rest through all Judea and Galilee, and Samaria, they were multiplied, for so it is in the O • iginall. Now Jerusalem was the chief Church in Judea, and therefore she also multiplied and increased in Disciples daily, which being added to the former spake of, it makes it an impossible thing that they could all meet together in any one place or a few. And in the 12. chapter upon the miraculous death of Herod, it is said verse 24. that the Word of God grew and multiplied in Jerusalem, that is, brought forth great increase of 'Believers, and made them exceedingly daily to multiply, so that all these additions upon additions of Believers made it an impossible thing that the hundredth part of them could meet in any one place.
But omitting many Arguments that I could produce from the multitudes of their Preachers, and the diversity of the nations, and the infinite number of the Inhabitants, and from the Miracles in Jerusalem that necessarily called for many Congregations and Assemblies; that one place in the 21. of the Acts may forever silence all Gain-sayers, and abundanly prove unto rational men, that there were many, if not numberless congregations of Believers then in the church of Jerusalem. If we will but take notice what Saint James, and all the Presbyters of Jerusalem spake unto Saint Paul, who being all Inhabitants there, and the Ministers and Preachers of the Word in that Church, must all necessarily know not only the condition of the Believers there, but for the most part the number of them; now I say it will be worth our pains and attention, to observe and take notice what is there confirmed by the testimony of many witnesses, yea, a cloud of witnesses, and all of them without exception, there was James the Apostle by name, and all the Presbyters of Jerusalem, all Synodians, whose witness was true, and forever to be believed, and yet they give in this evidence to Saint Paul, concerning the Believers in Jerusalem, that there were many ten thousands of weak Brethren here; how many ten thousands more may we suppose were there then of strong Brethren in the Church of Jerusalem? seeing for the most part in all Churches where there are able and learned Ministers it is ever observed, that there are three strong brethren to one weak one, at least more strong brethren then weak ones: Now when there was a whole College of Apostles for the most part resident in that Church, and a whole college of Presbyters, fixed Ministers there and able Preachers, besides a multitude of Priests, and all painful, and laborious, that preached unto them night and day, & instructed them all in their Christian Liberty, and confirmed them in it with miracles; and when they had also for a farther strengthening of them in that their Christian Liberty, called a Council and Synod in Jerusalem, and ratified the abrogation of the legal Ceremonies, and that from the Holy Scripture, and the Spirit of God, and did daily preach unto them all this their Christian Liberty; we are bound by the Law of charity to believe there were many more thousands of strong Christians then weak in that Church; yea, our daily experience will persuade any man to believe this Doctrine; Now let us hear what Saint James, and all the Presbyters witness unto Saint Paul concerning this point, verse 20. Thou seest Brother Paul (say they) how many ten thousands (for so it is in the Original 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the Law; out of the which words we may observe that those Saint James and the Presbyters speak of were all Inhabitants in Jerusalem, for they could witness nothing of strangers, those that dwelt in other places, neither could they have said thou seest them, if they had not been Inhabitants, or if they had been here today and gone tomorrow; for then they could not have been taken notice of; but they speak of Inhabitants, as by many Arguments may be proved, and of all these they asser • these things.
First, for the number of them, that they were many ten thousands.
Secondly, that they were all Believers, Disciples, and very good Christians, yea very zealous ones.
Thirdly, they do witness, that all these many ten thousands were but weak Brethren, and therefore gave Saint Paul counsel, yea an order, somewhat to connive at their weakness for a time, that he might the better ingratiate himself into their favor; the story is there fully set down.
Now I say if there were many ten thousands of weak Brethren in the Church of Jerusalem, how many more ten thousands of strong Believers may any rational men suppose were then there in that church, where there were a college of Apostles forth most part, and a standing College of able Presbyters, all miraculous Teachers, and assisted immediately by the spirit of God? Surely a few hundred of houses or places could not possibly have held their very bodies, much less could a few hundred of houses have held them to partake in all the Ordinances; so that all men that have not absolutely resolved to give the Spirit of God the lie, yea, to wage war against Heaven, must acknowledge, that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem, especially when it cometh confirmed by so many witnesses of divine authority. By which it appeareth that there were many Congregations of Believers there, as in every house one. So that for this point, I am most assured it is now without controversy, that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem; and yet all these as the Holy Scripture asserteth in many places, made all but one Church; and the Independents themselves acknowledge, there was but one Church in Jerusalem.
Now how in any ordinary man's understanding can many congregations be one political ministerial Church, except only because they are united and associated under one Presbyterial government? that is to say, under the government of a whole colledg of Presbyters which the Church of Jerusalem was? for there was many Presbyters there as this 21. ch. testifieth and the 15. chap. and many other places of holy writ, all which had the government over that Church committed to them in common; So that it may be a wonder to all rational men that there should any appear in the world, notwithstanding the abundant evidence out of the holy Word of God, that should yet assert, there were no more believers in the Church of Jerusalem then could all meet in one Congregation: which assertion of theirs, besides the Scripture, very common reason overthrows; for if we consider Jerusalem, it is said to be the city of the great King in which there were never less then seven or eight hundred thousand inhabitants, who daily expected the Messiah; who it is well known when he came had twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples at his command to go and come at pleasure, whose powerful preaching was such, that it is related that Satan was seen fall down like iightning from heaven, that is to say, whose Kingdom was overthrown by their ministry, and by all whose efficacious preaching and miracles we have this testimony that at one of their Miracles and Sermons there were three thousand converted at one time, besides daily additions added unto that Church by the Lord, and five thousand men besides women at another, and multitudes of believers both of men and women at another, and that there was daily increase of believers upon increase with a multitude of Priests, besides a whole college of Presbyters settled Ministers amongst them, and that all these should yet prevail to convert no more in future time then could all meet in one Congregation, it seems a thing very incredible: and truly for any to persevere in this error against all reason and against the evident testimonies of holy Scripture, where we have it recorded there were many ten thousands of very weak believers in that one Church besides the strong, it is an open and willful fighting against God and a resisting of his spirit, which is a fearful sin: for all these are convincing arguments to prove the numberless multitudes and congregations of believers in the Church of Jerusalem: And all th • s brigade of arguments militate against the whole Army of the Homothumadon Sectaries, and shall I hope forever serve to vanquish them all and to make good this field of truth, That there were many Congregations and Assemblies of believers in the Church of Jerusalem, and yet they were not everyone a Church or Churches severally considered by themselves, exercising an absolute sovereignty Independent within themselves respectively, as all our new gathered Churches do now here in London: but all those congregations in Jerusalem were all subordinate, and being combined together made all of them but one Church, and were all under a common Counsel or College of Presbyters within that Precinct; the example of which Mother-Church is left upon record to all posterity for imitation: and therefore that tenent of the Homothumadon Independents concerning the congregational way, hath no ground for it in the whole Word of God, but is a mere whimsy of their own brain, and hath its foundation only in the air, and will soon vanish or be speedily blown away by the blast and breath of truth.
Now my other companies drawn out of the Apostles quarters after Christ's death and ascension, they militate against all the Burtonian Independents, who acknowledge that there were many Assemblies of believers in the Church of Jerusalem, but deny they were Churches properly so called; now though by their grant they have lost the day (as in the following skirmishes will appear) yet that all men may see that this sconse of error to which they have betaken themselves, cannot defend their cause; I shall with one company at this time beat them out of that hold, and fully vanquish them in the pitched field: It is recorded Act. 2. v. 42. of all those new converts which were in many assemblies & in many houses, that they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers. This very troop alone serves for the beating of them all out of what bulwark soever they can betake themselves to for shelter: for if all these congregations and Assemblies of believers were equal in all privileges and immunities with any Churches that ever were on earth, and had in them severally whatsoever did make the whole Church of Jerusalem the first formed Church, then they were all and everyone of them Churches properly so called: But the antecedent is true: Ergo, the consequent; so that to any rational man this question is also out of controversy: for let any man but duly examine, what it was in the whole church of Jerusalem that made it the first formed church and a church properly so called, and he shall find the same in everyone of those particular congregations and assemblies for the making of them churches properly so called; so that th • y each of them severally may as truly challenge the name of Church, as the whole Church can, they communicating in whatsoever is essential for the making of any church a complete church or a church properly so called, if partaking in all Ordinances by lawful Ministers can make any assembly or congregation a church properly so called: So that by this one company and by this very argument all the whibling reserves of all the Burtonian Independents are dissipated and scattered, and that place of truth maintained against them all: viz. that everyone of those Assemblies in Jerusalem were churches properly so called, and yet all of them made up but one entire Church, and they were not every of them severally considered by themselves and apart Independent and exercising an absolute sovereignty within themselves: And therefore this truth shall forever stand good against all sorts of Independents That many congregations combined together and subordinate to someone colledg of Presbyters make all of them within their precincts but one entire Church: and that this is God's Ordinance, and not that tenent of the congregational way which hath neither precept or president for it in all God's holy Word: So that by all these encounters and frequent skirmishes and by the mighty power and assistance of the great Lord of Hosts the General of all the Armies of heaven and earth, I have vanquished all the forces both of the Homothumadon Independents and all the Burtonian Sectaries, and maintained and kept not only the field of truth, but these two sconses and bulwarks of the same: viz.
The first, that there were many congregations and assemblies of believers in the church of Jerusalem.
The second, that all those several congregations and assemblies were churches properly so called: which when it comes to the main battle, will be fully made good, and withal it will be maintained, that all those several congregations made all of them but one Church, and were all of them combined together and subordinate to one Presbytery, that is, to a College of Presbyters, who by God's own appointment had the rule over them committed to them in common: by all which the doctrine of the Congregational way is utterly overthrown, whose tenent and opinion it is, that every Congregation of believers, be it greater or smaller, ought to be a distinct Church or body by itself exercising all Church power and authority within itself Independent; and ought not to have reference or relation to any other church or congregation for matter of government, no farther then pleaseth themselves; and this they affirm to be God's Ordinance and Constitution, whereas in the Church at Jerusalem the Mother-church, there were innumerable Congregations and Assemblies of believers, and yet all of them made up but one Church: For those several congregations, as the Burtonian Independents do affirm, were but branches of that one entire Church; these are their words.
By all which it now appeareth that it is God's Ordinance and his Appointment that many congregations combined together in any city or vicinity within some Precinct, should all of them within that jurisdiction make up but one Church and be under a College of Presbyters to be governed by them in common, which is indeed a mere ecclesiastical Corporation; and therefore this kind of government might without any offense or diviation from the holy Word of God be compared by me to any civil Corporation, as that of London or the like: For though I. S. and my brother Burton spend much time and many words to no purpose about my simile, yet it will stand forever immovable and serve to all intelligible Christians for that very end I propound it: viz. to declare the state of the question; yea by I. S. his own words pag▪ the fourth of his Pamphlet it is authorized; for he there after much babble thus expresseth himself concerning this point, when (saith he) we know the true nature of spiritual things, of the devices of God, as I may call them, we may find a resemblance of them in things here below, which are made after them, but we cannot fetch the knowledge of heavenly composures from these earthly things. Thus J. S. speaks there.
So that I having from the holy Word of God and from the constitution of the Church at Jerusalem the first true formed Church and original Church found out the true nature of that spiritual and ecclesiastical government, that heavenly composure and that device of God (as he grollishly calleth it) it was then no sin in me (in I. S. his opinion) to find a resemblance of it in things below. And therefore both he himself and my brother Burton might have saved all that labor they needlessly spent about that simile, which will ever stand good against whatsoever they shall be able to say against it, for the elucidating and clearing of the point of difference between the Presbyterians and the Independents, which was the only end I made use of it for; and there fore all the pudder they made about that simile, was but to beat the air and to vent their own vanity.
But from all this dispute (that I may now speak something concerning National Churches, which the Independents deny) I farther gather, That if many hundred Congregations being combined together under one Presbytery in any great City or Vicinity within any large Jurisdiction, may all of them make up but one Church within that Precinct, and may take its name or denomination from the City or place in which it is: I see no reason why a thousand Parishes, yea ten thousand, all of them embracing the Gospel and making profession of the true Christian Religion, in what Kingdom, Nation, Province, Country, or Commonwealth soever they be, may not all of them in those several Countries, being all of them combined together and under some grand Presbyteries, take their several names and denominations either from those respective nations or languages, and be called either the Greek Church, or the Hebrew Church, or the Latin Church, or the French Church, or the Dutch Church, &c. or be called the Church of England, Scotland, Ireland, or or such a Provincial Church, or such a National Church; I say I see no reason why, if all those several Nations coming in at the sound of the Gospel, and all of them giving up their names to the profession of the Christian faith, may not as well from those several Nations take the name of the Church from the Nation as they may take it from Jerusalem or from any other City as that of Corinth, Ephesus, &c. and so become National churches: I desire therefore any man to give me a good and solid reason to the contrary; for this I am sure of, that it was promised unto Abraham that he should be a Father of many Nations, which he was not in respect of his natural posterity: for he was only in that regard a Father of the Hebrews who challenged Abraham to be their Father; and therefore it must necessarily be in respect of their faith and spiritual parentage in that they are all of them his children in regard of their common faith and belief in the Messiah, whose day Abraham by faith saw and rejoiced in it, which all the Nations of believers do, and therefore they likewise in that respect are called the children, sons and daughters of Abraham, and may therefore be truly called National Churches, which all the Independents with my brother Burton and I. S. deny; for Christ is called the light of the Gentiles, yea there are many glorious promises concerning the calling of the Nations and Gentiles; as that in Isaiah 19. ver. 23, 24. where it is said, In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt, and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the Land. Here all these three Nations are called three sister Churches, if we mark the coherence. And for farther proof of National Churches under the Gospel it is said, Isaiah 55. 5. Thou shalt call a Nation which thou knowest not, and Nations which knew not thee shall run unto thee, which words are spake of Christ under the Gospel, in the which is set down both God's Call of a Nation, and the Nations Answer to that Call, and there can be no more required to make a Church. And it is prophesied of Gospel times, Psal. 22. 27. And all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee. And Psal. 72. it is said All Kings shall fall down before him, and all Nations shall serve him. And Psal. 86. 9. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name: Innumerable places to this purpose might be produced for the proving of National Churches; for all Nations are Christ's by donation, Psal. 2. 8. Ask of me (saith the Lord speaking to Christ) and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession: Yea they are his by conquest who hath vanquished the strong man and disarmed him and vindicated the Nations into his own possession; yea they are his by purchase also: viz. all the elect of them, for he hath redeemed them with his precious blood, 1 Pet. 1. Acts 20. Yea they are his by call, for he sent his Apostles into all nations to invite them to come in, Matth. 28. Mark 16. And many of them obeyed the call and are his by covenant, as we may see it Revel. 11. v. 15. where it is said The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And Paul in the 11. of the ROM. speaking unto all the Gentiles, in as much as he was the Apostle of the Gentiles, saith ver. 17. That some of the natural branches being broken off, the Gentiles which were the wild Olive tree were graffed in amongst them and with them did partake of the root and fatness of the Olive tree; So that now all the Nations were equal in privileges with the Jews in all respects, so that as that was a national Church, so are they, and yet all make but one Church, for there is but one shepherd and one sheep fold, one Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles; now as the Church of the Jews is said to be but one National church, because all the tribes in that Family or Nation, and all the visible and public assemblies of the same being parts of the catholic church, and living under one ecclesiastical and civil government, were by the profession of the same faith and fellowship and communion of the same worship and government united into one body ecclesiastic or ecclesiastical commonwealth: So for ought I know all those Kingdoms, Nations, Countries and Provinces that shall embrace the Gospel (as I said before) and come under the government of Jesus Christ the great high Priest and King of his church which was typified by the legal high Priest and the Kings of Judah and do yield obedience unto him and that government he hath appointed in his church, may all of them, being joined in a particular consociation and community in any country Nation or Province or Kingdom, receive their denomination from the several countries & nations in which they are. For the Church eatholick being an homogenial and similar body retains the name of church, into what cities, countries, nations or Kingdoms soever it be divided into; for as those many Congregations in the Church at Jerusalem made all of them but one church within its precincts, and had its name from thence; so may the many Parishes and Villages, which being met together in their several bounds, in the profession of the same Christian faith, make but one Church, being all of them through that country combined together under one government, both Ecclesiastical and civil; for as for the division of the nations, it is not to be considered, merely as an human and political Ordinance, as many conceive, and therefore would make Provincial Churches, and Parish Churches a human invention; for in the 32. of Deut. v. 8. it is said there when the most high divided to the nations their inheritance; so that God was the Author of this division, and gave their several names unto them, and set all their bounds and limits; yea, he hath set the bounds of every man, as it is sufficiently proved by the Apostle, Acts 17. where he saith, verse 26. that God hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitations; so that the division of the whole world into divers nations, and those nations into several Provinces and Counties, and those counties into so many hundreds, and Wapentakes, or Rapes, or Tribes, and all these into so many several Parishes, is said to be God's own appointment; for he is said to have divided the nations, & tohave set them their bounds; and therefore I can conceive no reason why Parish Churches amongst us may not as well be accounted God's Ordinance, as Parish Synagogues amongst the Jews; and why city Churches amongst us may not as well be God's Ordinance now, as it was then; for so by divine institution they were then in the Apostles times esteemed; and it is well known that in New-England all their several Towns, as that of Plymouth, Bostorne, Cambridge, &c. have all their bounds and limits prescribed unto them, and all the people within that precinct, and no farther, that submit themselves to that their government, are said to be Members of each several Church, and of no other; and yet▪ all this is as much politick, as the division of our Parishes and Cities; and those Churches constituted by the Apostles in every city, village and country, were as much politick as ours, and yet are called God's Ordinances: and truly I know no good reason why our parish churches should not far rather, and with far greater reason be of divine institution, then those churches of the congregational way: for it is well known that all the Members in our several Parishes dwell within such and such limits, and for the most part are all well and familiarly known one to another; and every week, once at least see all one an others faces, and can daily meet together for to watch over one another; whereas those of the congregational way dwell many of them twenty miles one from another, and some threescore miles one from another, and all for the most part a great distance one from another, scattered here and there, so that they cannot possibly one watch over another, as is pretended, and behold one an others conversation, for that is impossible; and therefore for my particular I know that the parochial or parishional assembling of themselves together for the enjoying of the Ordinances hath presidents for it in holy Writ, and that many, both in cities and villages; but we have not one president of such congregations as are now in our new Churches in all the whole Book of God; and therefore I conclude that all our parochial meetings are far more of divine institution, and Churches properly so called then the Assemblies of the congregational way: And by the same Argument I may gather that the Christian Churches now through the world, at least all the reformed Churches may as well be called national Churches, as the Jewish Church was, especially if we look unto the requisites that make a national Church; for two things are required for the making of a national Church; first a national agreement in the same faith and worship. Secondly, a national union in one Ecclesiastical body in the same community of Ecclesiastical government; as now the Church of England, Scotland and Ireland, have all by covenant bound themselves to maintain the same faith and worship, and by a national union and agreement they have accorded to be under a Presbyterial government, and this they all acknowledge to be God's Ordinance, and a way appointed by him of governing his church; and that the Presbyterian government is God's Ordinance, the Independents themselves do acknowledge, but they hold only a congregational Presbyterie, and we hold, and that from all reason, and from the good word of God, and from many presidents, both City, classical, provincial and national Presbyteries, and ecumenical also upon occasions; for of these kinds of Presbyteries, both the Word of God, and many Ecclesiastical Histories do furnish us with some presidents: and therefore for the one we have divine institution for it, and many examples in the Book of God; but we have neither precept nor example of that of the congregational way, and therefore it is none of God's institutions, nor none of his devices nor composures, that I may use some of I. S. his Rhetoric, but a mere figment of their own brain.
But now I am to answer to something my Brother Burton hath to say concerning the Presbyters of the Church of England, who pag. 6. 7. of his Book, If you (saith he) have not a good Presbyterie, where shall he, viz. that is scandalized or offended, go to complain? He may go and appeal higher you will say, and what if the higher the worse? Good Brother (saith he) either provide the people of the Land an honest godly Presbytery, that may be as so many Angels to gather out of Christ's Kingdom everything that offends; or else let there be a tender care of tender consciences, and some provision made for them, that they may not be scandalized by being forced to be the companions of the scandalous. Thus my Brother Burton.
Here is a double If propounded merely to amuse the people: for it is not unknown to all men that the Parliament, the great Council of the Kingdom, endeavoreth to cast out all scandalous Ministers, so far as their power extendeth through the Kingdom, if by information and sufficient witnesses they can be proved to be such; so that every conscientious and intelligible man may see there is very small ground for the doubts and fears, either of my Brother Burton, or any of that Fraternity, that there will not be a good Presbytery set up, and as little (when they cannot deny but the godly if offended may go and appeal higher) for either he himself or they to make such a supposition; what if the higher the worse? If I should conclude, that these doubts were conceived, nourished, and brought forth out of the womb of faction, my Brother Burton with his complices would call it railing; therefore to avoid (ifit be possible) their unjust censures I only say thus much, that both he and all his brethren use an uncharitable way of arguing (which is the best construction can be made of it) for thus they may traduce any man, yea, any government, or any way of God at pleasure, with a detracting if. But here lies the mystery; the only way my Brother Burton and his associates have to advance Independency, is to cloud the truth of God under dark expressions, and to eclypse those shining Lights, the faithful godly Ministers throughout the kingdom, that the Lord hath set up in his Church, that so the people may not hear the voice of God speaking in them, by which means the understandings of many are wrapped up in error, obscurity and darkness, as in a mantle, and the ungrounded and unwarrantable notions of Independency are received by them as new Lights, they being very pleasing to flesh and blood: for man naturally hath an ambitious, boundless spirit, and from the beginning would not be limited by God himself, and the Independent doctrine being without bounds, teaching that it is free for men to believe, practice and preach abroad their several opinions (calling it liberty of conscience) this is such a Light that all the sons and daughters of darkness will willingly walk in. But should the Independents obtain their desire, where ever this new Light were set up, it would prove no other liberty then that which our first Parents Adam and Eve gained for their Rebellion against God's command, which was to enslave themselves, and all their posterity to sin and Satan; and most certain it is, that such a liberty as the Independents do teach, seek, and (joining with all sort of Sectaries and Libertines) plead and stand for, would bring confusion, and an irrevocable curse on those Kingdoms and countries as shall tolerate so great abominations, and cause the Lord who hates Laodicean Lukewarmenesse in Religion, to spew them out of his mouth, Revel. 3. 15. 16. But before I pass on, I will take this liberty to say unto my Brother Burton, that whatsoever with his Ifs he can plead against our Presbyters, may be said with much more, and with far better reason against the independent Presbyters, if they be wicked or heretical; for from them there is no appeal for relief by any amongst them never so much wronged; and therefore all such kinds of arguing against our Presbyters, is as altogether uncharitable, so but trifling. But my Brother Burton calls upon me to provide the people of the Land an honest and godly Presbyterie; from whence it appears that in his and his brethren's account all the Orthodox, faithful and godly Presbyters in the Land at this day, who differ from the opinions they have lately received, are neither honest nor godly: for if there be (as most certain it is there are many) honest & godly Presbyters provided for the people of the Land, it is strange he should speak in such a manner, as if they were altogether wanting, for so his words do intimate; for why otherwise should he make such a request to me of providing an honest & godly Presbyterie, if he or they believed we had a godly Presbytery already, who notwithstanding he knows hath no power to perform it? Truly all his Argumentations are very uncharitable, & no way beseeming a Brother; for charity is kind, and thinks no evil, 1 Cor. 13. 4. 5. But were it so, that it might be taken pro confesso, that there were not any such set up in this land, which were to deny the Suns shining at noon-day, did he and the Independents indeed and in truth unfeignedly desire such a Presbyterie should be set up & established, why do they not, as they falsely accuse them, first prove them to be enemies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom, and not a godly and an honest Presbyterie, and then as in duty they are all bound earnestly in the first place seek to God, that he would send faithful Laborers into his Vineyard, and secondly to authority, that they would set up an honest and a godly Presbyterie, and give unto them full power that they may be as so many Angels to gather out of Christ's Kingdom everything that offends according to the Word of God, which all the knowing godly Presbyterians (Ministers and people) do heartilydesire, that so no truly tender consciences may be scandalized? this I say were the duty of them all, and not to make suppositions & needless requests to those that have neither power nor authority to do it. But the Independents are so far from this, that they have made it their design hitherto, to hinder the work of Reformation by raising up questions continually, as being always unsatisfied (and by seeking to stir up the people in their preachings and Pamphlets against the Presbyterians) and that merely to oppose, retard and keep off a settled government in the Church of God (saying) what haste is there of that? and in the mean time they fish in our troubled waters, and yet their strongest and most effectual baits wherewith they allure and catch the poor silly fishes, I mean the simple and unstable people, is this, to tell them that there is not any Church▪government settled, and that as they have waited many years already, so they may wait as many more, and be as far off from Discipline, and a through Reformation as they now are, saying withal, if they do wait to have a Presbyterie set up, what if it be not a good one? and what if they have not power to gather out of Christ's Kingdom everything that offends? affirming, that as it is uncomfortable, so it is absolutely sinful, to live without the Ordinances, which amongst the Saints, and none but Believers in their Congregations they may enjoy. Thus whiles the Independents do labor and endeavor with all their might to oppose the settling of Church▪government, they make the want thereof the most powerful and prevalent Engine and Argument to draw the people into their way; and upon the occasion of these Interrogatories or queries, and of these Ifs and Ands of my Brother Burton, and his confedertes, I shall set down some of their Independent practices well known to many thousands in this Kingdom besides myself, by which their ingratitude, both to God and men, and the rest • esnesse of these men's spirits will the better appear to all such as are not blinded with a previous or prejudicated opinion. So that all men of discerning spirits by beholding their jugglings and unwarrantable proceedings, may learn to shun them, and to take heed of them, and all their by-ways. It is well known that in the time of the Prelates power, the removal of a very few things would have given great content unto the most scrupulous consciences: for I myself can speak thus much, not only concerning the conscientious Professors here in England, but the most rigid Separatists beyond the Seas, with many of which I had familiar acquaintance at home and abroad, and amongst all that ever I conversed with, I never heard them till within these twenty years desire any other thing in Reformation, but that the Ceremonies might be removed with their Innovations, and that Episcopacy might be regulated, and their boundless power and authority taken from them, and that the extravagances of the High Commission Court might be annihilated, and made void, and that there might through the Kingdom be a preaching Ministry everywhere set up. This was all that the most that I was then acquainted with desired in the Reformation of Church matters. Indeed within this sixteen years I met with some that desired a more full Reformation, and yet if they might have enjoyed but that I now mentioned, they would have been very thankful to God and authority, and have sat down quietly. But yet I say the extremist extent of their desires, reached but to the removal of all the Ceremonies and Innovations, the taking away of the Service Book, and the putting down of the High Commission Court, (which was called the court Christian, though it was rather Pagan) and the removal of the Hierarchy, root and branch, and the setting up, and establishing of a godly Presbyterie through the Kingdom; this was I say all and the uttermost Reformation that was required by the most scrupulous men then living that I knew; yea, I can speak thus much in the presence of God, that Master Robinson of Leiden, the Pastor of the Brownist Church, there told me and others, who are yet living to witness the truth of what I now say, that if he might in England have enjoyed but the liberty of his Ministry there, with an immunity but from the very Ceremonies, and that they had not forced him to a subscription to them, and imposed upon him the observation of them, that he had never separated from it, or left that Church. This I can depose; so that all men may see, the very dispensing with the ceremonies would then have given great content to the most austere professors; how much more may any man suppose would they have sat down satisfied, if but the very ceremonies then might have been removed?
Surely if the Prelates had not been infatuated, and had they but in those things a little connived, and would have abated somewhat of their rigor, for ought I know, they might have never been questioned, but they might have enjoyed all their honors and greatness, and whatsoever they could have desired, and that with the good liking of all the people; had they I say but dispensed with those needless vanities, and had they but favored honest and godly Ministers, and set up Lights, I mean good Preachers in the dark places and corners of the Kingdom, they would have been beloved and reverenced of all men, and no man would have envied their Magnificence: yea, I am most assured had they but favored good and godly men, the whole Kingdom would have been their friends; and whereas they all at last petitioned against them, they would have supplicated in their behalf, that they might still have continued in their authority. But through their own pride, and from an ambition of Lording it over their brethren, and by their tyrannical practices, and licentious living they have brought confusion upon themselves, and been one of the principal causes of all the miseries and distractions, and of all the blood-shed that the three Kingdoms are now involved with; and for ought I can discern our Independent Predicants now treading in their steps, and seeking to be the sole and only men, and to set up their new government, which is more groundless then that of the Prelates, if the Lord of his infinite power and goodness prevent not their design, they are in a way to bring a greater confusion upon both Church and State, and the three Kingdoms then that which were are all now embroiled with: For I have heard them peremptorily conclude amongst themselves, making use of that saying of the Prophet, that they shall come to thee, and not thou to them, intimating by those words that they would never submit themselves to the Presbyterian classical Government, but that all the Presbyters must come in, and yield to their Independency, so that if they persist in this their groundless Resolution, we may never promise unto ourselves any peace or quiet, unless they may have what they aspire to, and what they desire; and for ought I know there will be no end of their demands, nor no limits or bounds to their requests and prayers: for they look every day for new Discoveries, and expect yet more new Lights, saying, that all truths are not yet fully revealed, and therefore according to those they say they must act and be moved; so that by this their doctrine, there will never be a period of their Grolleries.
And all men may well perceive what an endless work they that shall satisfy the Independents will have by their very beginnings: for to my knowledge the chiefest of them, and those that are now in highest esteem in that Fraternity, and the chiefest men and women amongst them at the beginning of this Parliament, desired only the removal of the Ceremonies, and all Innovations, the removal of the Service Book, the putting down of the High Commission Court, and the taking away of the Hierarchy root and branch, and the setting up of the Presbyterian government as it was in other Reformed Churches, and especially in that of Scotland, and that was all they then desired; and there were then none in all the City of London that more honored the Scots to my knowledge then they: None that entertained them more nobly and freely (which was the honor of our nation, and for their own reputation) none that frequented the ministry of the Scots more, and that more zealously attended upon it every Lord's day whiles they were lodged by London -Stone then they: so that I do not know at this time an Independent in London, especially of the principallest of them, that were not then great Lovers of the Scots, and very desirous of that Church-government here in England, that is now amongst them, and which they have since covenanted for; yea, they were the only people that brought in the Scots; and yet behold now the vanity and instability of all these men, there are not any, neither in City or Country that more malign them, and are now greater enemies to them and the Presbyterian government then these very Independents, which makes me think that it will be as impossible a work for the Parliament, or any authority to satisfy them, as it is impossible for the whole world to satisfy the avarice of a covetous man, one story of the which comes now to my mind, which I shall at this time relate upon my own knowledge, which somewhat suiteth with these times in which we live.
I being one day some twenty years since at a great Festivity in a Doctor of physicks house here in London, he in a merry way related unto his guests how poor he came into this City, professing unto them all, that he was not worth six pounds in the world, books and all at his first coming, and that being entertained into the Family of one of Queen Elizabeth's Doctors of Physic to her person, for to teach his children, he so pleased the humor of the Doctor, that he let him have the use of his Library, and communicated unto him the way of his practice, and gave him many excellent receipts, and he remaining with him some five years, it pleased God to take away the Doctor, and his Apothecary taking a very good liking to him, persuaded him now to practice physic in his place, wishing him withal to take some convenient house by him, promising him that he would further him what he could, saying moreover that he doubted not but by the praise, and the goodreport he would give of him, to make all those noble personages that were the Doctors Patients, to make use of him, and he would do all this upon condition that he would use no other Apothecary but himself, to which the Doctor willingly condescended: whereupon the Apothecary so bestirred himself that he made good his promise and brought him into the greatest practice of any Pysician then in London.
But said he, when I first began to practice, being very poor, I thought with myself that if I could with all my pains and industry get but an hundred pounds a year to live upon when I am old, or leave to my Family, I would never aspire to greater riches: and truly, said he, within the space of one year I got above two thousand pounds and purchased an hundred pounds a year, and then I thought with myself if I could but make it up two hundred, I would rest contented without any farther ambition, and I within less then one years space made it up two hundred pounds per annum, and then I thought if I could but make it up five hundred pound a year, I would never desire anymore, and within a few years (said he) I made it up five hundred pound a year; and then I thought with myself if I could now but make it a thousand pound a year, I would then be content, and within a few years I had my desire: And then I thought with myself if I could make it up but two thousand pound a year, I would never desire anymore wealth; and before I was fifty years of age I had, saith he, purchased two thousand pound per annum: And then I thought with myself if I could make it up but three thousand pound per annum, I would then go build Hospitals and rest abundantly satisfied; and truly, saith he, within a few years I made it up above three thousand pound by the year and by my troth, said he, I am now as covetous as ever I was.
This story did I hear that Doctor tell in way of gloriation to many: but it may very fitly be applied to all the Independents, who are as boundless in their desires as this Doctor was in his covetousness; Oh, said they a few years since, were but the Ceremonies removed with the Innovations of the Prelates, we would be satisfied; and when they were gone, if now the service book were but cast out of the Church, we would be content; and when that was cast out, now if the High Commission Court were put down we should then be satisfied; and when that was put down, then if the Hierarchy were also taken away root and branch, then they should be satisfied; now when that was gone, if we could have but the Presbytery established, and that it might be with us as in the other Reformed Churches, and especially that of SCOTLAND, then we should be abundantly thankful to God and to the Parliament, and we would rest satisfied forever.
This, to my knowledge, was the language of all the Independents, and all that I now say can be proved by a cloud of witnesses.
Now I desire all men to take notice how these men are satisfied with that Reformation which they so ambitiously desired, and that is now established amongst us, when God and the Parliament hath granted them all they could or did then desire and crave for, they are yet as unsatisfied and as covetous for more things as that Doctor was of more money, and so for ought I can conceive no state in the world will ever be able to satisfy their vast and unlimited wishes. I may truly say of them that an unthankfuller generation both to God and authority never appeared in the world, then these Sectaries are; but withal I shall ever believe that their Teachers and Itinerary Predicants have been the principallest cause of all their unsatisfiednesse and of all their destractions, and especially those Homothumadon brethren, those fugitives that ran into Holland and New-England, that cowardly left the cause and since have brought over their New Lights here amongst us, to the darkening of the truth it self, and disordering of all things, and hindering of Reformation: for they chiefly and those that have followed those ignes fatuos that they set up, have occasioned these miserable distractions and divisions that are now everywhere through the Land, which if they be not speedily looked unto, will bring desolation upon the three Kingdoms, all the which giddyheaded unstable men I can compare to nothing more fitly then to the Turkish Drums, Trumpets and Whissels, and that in two respects: They that have read but the History of the holy War shall find that when the Christian Princes went up to fight for the Sepulcher, that many thousands of them found graves there for themselves, which happened unto them not from any want of valor in the Christian Army, but by the disordering of their ranks and files: which gave occasion to the Saracens and those barbarous people to break in upon them, and to cut off many thousands of them, which disorder happened unto them upon this occasion. The European horses being only acquainted with the warlike music of their own holy Army, never having heard so much as the very sound either of the Turkish drums, trumpets, or whiffels those unsanctified instruments, when the Christians and Infidels came to join battle, and that the Armies approached one to another, the Turkish drums, trumpets and whiffels made such a barbarous noise in the European horses ears, that they were so scared and affrighted that they began to run like mad, and brake through all their own ranks and files and so disordered the whole Army that it was a thousand to one they had not been all cut apieces at the first encounter. And even after the same manner have the Homothumadon brethren and all their disciples those their I tinerary Tub▪men like so many drums, trumpets and whiffels with their barbarous noises out of their several Tubs in the ears of poor creatures both men and women that were acquainted with no such music as is exercised by those of this new militia, as that of the Congregational way, and Church fellowship, and the Church way, and the way of the Saints, and of new Lights, and new borne Truths, and of the great things of eternity which come only out of the womb of God and from between his legs, from God's immediate hand, by providence not to be explained, just as a lot, &c. For these with many such are the noises they have now made in the ears of the poor silly creatures that they have made them all run mad to the disordering of all things and disturbing of the whole Christian Army that might by the power of God if we had been well ordered, without these divisions and distractions they have made amongst us, been able to have encountered with the whole host of Antichrist; but there is this difference only between the Turkish drums and whiffels and these our whiffellers, that they only scared a few horses and made them mad, but these have made men and women mad amongst us with these their new and barbarous sounds of those their new ways, and this is the first thing wherein they are like the Turkish drumms and whiffels.
Now as those Turkish instruments though they made a terrible noise, yet there was nothing in them but wind and ventosity; so these our whiffellers, & Tubmen, for the most part, if they be but looked into, there is nothing in them but mere vapor and frothy windiness which they spread & blow abroad in the ears of simple creatures, persuading them that the Presbyterians will be more tyrannical and lordly then ever the Prelates were, and that they are an Antichristian brood, the sons of Belial, the enemies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom, and that the people ought not nor cannot lawfully hear them or read anything they write or publish to the world, persuading them that all they write or preach tendeth to nothing but the disthroning of Christ & the setting him up as a Pageant King; but indeed all their endeavor is but while they cry hail Master, to crucify him, as the wicked Jews did, and with such uncouth & barbarous noises as these they have put the people generally into such a heat, fury and distemper against all the Presbyterians, as they have deterred many thousands from so much as hearing them or coming into their presence, yea if at any time any of them but accidentally happen into their company they find them more barbarous towards them then the very Turks were toward many Christians even when they had them at their mercy; and I am confident were the Presbyterians at their mercy, they would find less courtesy from them then from the very Saricens; and I have very good grounds for this my persuasion from that insolent behavior I myself have seen them exercise towards all sorts of Presbyterians, but principally towards the Ministers whō they affront often and that in an unseemly manner in the very Churches whiles they are in their Ministry, and when they go and pass along the streets and when they pass but through the Towns where there are any store or company of them; for they cannot ride by any of them without some reproachful calumny or other or without some uncivil behavior which would not be tolerated in very barbarous Nations. And as for myself it is well known that neither mywife nor my poor children can pass quietly by the streets for them without some contumelious disgraceful language from them: and for my own particular though I never wronged them, I can truly say and can also prove it, that I have and that often, after they heard I differed from them in opinion, suffered such inhumanity from many of them, as scarce ever any man did from the most uncivilized people living, they usually railing of me to my face, and such of them as I know not nor never to my remembrance saw before their assaulting of me: and they that carry themselves fairest towards me, either puff in my face as they pass by me, thinking to provoke me, or else make odd faces at me, or stare on me as I pass by them like a hare in a form, and they have often professed unto many that they had as leive meet the devil as me, and said that I was a devil and that I looked like the devil and like Cain, and a thousand more such expressions they have upon all occasions in their mouths concerning me, besides whatsoever they have published in their Pamphlets, and besides all their filthy and infamous language they daily use to the defaming of me and mine.
But this is not my condition alone, but so they deal with all those faithful and godly Presbyterian Ministers, all which confirms me in my opinion, calling them ugly fellows, and bland asses, and Presbytyrants, and loading them with all manner of reproaches, so that they have made them all through the Kingdom so hateful and infamous as they cannot dwell safely in their houses where there is any increase of them; and all that I now write can sufficiently be proved by many witnesses, which passages of theirs towards all, corroborates me in my persuasion: So that by these barbarous practices of all the Sectaries and by these their uncouth sounds they have so scared and terrified the people that now the name of a Presbyterian is formidable to many, and it is enough to hinder any from preferment that they can but blast with the name of a Presbyterian; and this also hath been generally observed, that there is scarce a man found to have been familiar at any time with any of the Sectaries, that if he once come to declare himself to stand for the Presbytery, that ever they could endure after, whatsoever love they seemed to show towards him before that time; yea it is farther observed, that scarce ever any man of what rank or fashion soever he were that familiarly conversed amongst them, that they have not afterwards betrayed or blasted their in honor and reputation, yea I could tell many a sad story to the deterring of any Presbyterian forever being familiar with any of that brood, and I shall ever be able to prove that when some of them that were poor unlearned and obscure men, yet for their seeming holiness have by great Parsonages been entertained in their families, and whom they made their principal companions, these most ungrateful and treacherous fellows have made use of this their noble courtesy and humanity but to find how they stood affected to Independency, and when they perceived that they were not for their purpose, though otherwise they were very moderate men, yet they raised many infamous reports of them, yea they so blasted them in their honors as they could never after recover their reputation: So that it is a wonder to me that any cordial real and solid Presbyterian will familiarly converse with them, when they have daily so many sad presidents of their treachery before their eyes. And for my part I wonder how any truly godly people dare come in their company, much less hear them preach, especially when they pray they may not be led into temptation, and when they have a special command to take heed of all seducers, and are so frequently in holy Scripture forewarned to decline all society with them; which they according to God's command ever ought to avoid: For Saint Paul speaking of false teachers in the fifth of the Galatians, wishes that they were cut off, and in the first chapter of the same Epistle v. 8. 9. he faith there, that if an Angel from heaven should preach unto them otherwise then he had taught them, that they should account him accursed, therefore surely he would not have any of Christ's Disciples and Scholers familiar with false teachers and such as teach the people otherwise then Paul had taught them, which all the Sectaries do, and much more ought all those that know the doctrines and practices of the Sectaries of our times, & how dangerous a generation of men they are in all respects, and how many have been utterly ruined & undone in their souls and in their estates and reputations by their familiarity with them, to shun them. Surely it is a great provoking of God when they know his blessed Will, who hath said, Matth. 15. 7. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves, that yet they will not take heed of them but run after their preachments; for this is indeed to thrust themselves into temptation and put themselves upon needless danger to the ruining of their own souls and the souls of those that are commit • ed to their charge in their families whom they are by God's command to bring up in the nurture and fear of the Lord, and to instruct in the way of truth and righteousness, which the Sectaries do not walk in, (as I have sufficiently proved both in my Epistle to the Reader, and through my whole Book) and therefore ought to be shunned and declined whatsoever seeming holiness and sanctimony they pretend to the World. Without doubt the deceivers in Paul's times were as seemingly holy as any of our Itinerary and Independent Praedicants; for he saith of them that like the devil they transformed themselves into angels of light and appeared like the Ministers of righteousness; and the Pharisees in Christ's time seemed very glorious outwardly as our Savior speaketh of them, and yet he commanded all his followers to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod, he would have none of his Disciples fam • liar with them, but enjoins them all to take heed of their doctrines: And Saint Paul 2 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. saith, that the last times will be perilous and dangerous times in regard of the false teachers that should then arise, and after he had made a description of them that they might know them, which in everything agrees with the Sectaries of our times, he saith of those seducers, that they shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to Parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, covenant breakers, false accusers, that is in the Original, devils, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, treacherous, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Now after he hath deciphered them he gives all men a special command to avoid their society, saying, from such turn away, he enjoins all men not so much as to hear them: And compares them to Jannes and Jambres those sorcerers who withstood Moses, and says of those seducers that they also like them would resist the truth, they being men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith. Truly if ever the Scripture were fulfilled in any age of the world, it is now fulfilled in these our times, there being not any part in this whole description of those dangerous▪ seducers that doth not in every branch of it agree with the Seducers and Sectaries of ours the most dangerous times in that regard that ever were in the world: And therefore it concerns all men that desire the peace of Zion and the welfare of their own souls, to take heed of them all, least they be found fighters against God: for we have precept upon precept to this very end given by all his holy Prophets, Christ and his blessed Apostles to shun them; and Saint John in his second Epistle v. 10, 11. saith there, speaking to all Christians, If there come any unto you that bring not the doctrine of Christ, entertain him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. Now we know the Sectaries of our times teach such doctrines as were never taught by Christ nor any of his blessed Apostles; how then dare any that have the name of Christians be familiar▪ with such and entertain them in their houses? especially when Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. chapter 2. verse 19. Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity or evil.
And what greater iniquity and evil can there be, then to live in the open violation of God's Commands? for in the very same chapter he exhorted them, ver. 16. 17. to shun profane and vain babblings, (which is the practice of the Sectaries) saying they would increase to more ungodliness, and that their words will eat as doth a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying, that the Resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some; he nameth some of the Sectaries there. Now here also we are commanded again to avoid all evil, whether it be the evil of Doctrine, or manners, or evil company, and especially to avoid and shun all false Teachers, whose doctrines eat as a Gangrene, such as are the new Doctrines of our times, which are inferior to none for evil, impiety and wickedness that were ever yet taught in the world, as ye may see in Learned Master Edward's Gangrena, and therefore it concerns all to shun the evil of all Sectaries company and fellowship; and in the 6, chapter of his 1. Epistle to Tim. verse 3. as if he could never have given caution enough, he saith there, If any man teach otherwise, (then he and Christ had instructed Timothy to teach) and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness, from such with draw thyself. If Timothy which was a well grounded Christian, an Evangelist by his place, if he were again and again by the Holy Apostle commanded to shun and decline the company and familiarity of all false Teachers and Seducers, how much more ought all other Christians that are so much inferior to Timothy in all respects to take heed of all Sectaries, especially when we by our daily experience find how many they have misled and seduced?
Truly it hath been the great Rebellion of both Ministers and people in these our times, contrary to the command of God, to follow them, and to lend them not only their ears, but their Pulpits and Churches to preach in; and doubtless whatsoever they may think, they have both of them much to answer for before God, as being the principal causes of the ruin, and misleading of so many souls, and if the State do not speedily take order for the suppressing of all those wicked Deceivers, the times will grow more dangerous and perilous, not only in regard of the precious souls of many, but in respect also of the peace and quiet of the Land, for all things will speedily run to confusion, and the Sectaries will bring down God's judgments upon the Land, by their damnable and desperate Doctrines, and ruin upon the very Parliament, and the States of the Kingdom; and there will one Jack Straw, or other, or one Wat Tyl • r, or some worshipful Knipper or other be raised up to be a deliverer of their Sovereign Lord the people, out of the hands of all Prerogative, and King-creatures, and out of the hands of their own creature the Parliament: The Lord awaken the Parliament, the Lord's and Peers of the Kingdom, and all the Governors through the same to stand now all upon their Guards, they having had so many Warning-Peeces, both in the Army, and in the City, both in Pulpits and Pamphlets what the Independents and Sectaries intend to do. Were there no other Books but John Lilburns, who knows the mind of his brethren, and the great concourse of people that follow him, and countenance him in his wicked practices, it were enough to awaken the whole Kingdom. But when we daily hear and read what Peters, Salt-marsh, Dell &c. those worthy Saints both preach and print, and what gallant Fellowes they have now with the sword in their hands, and what privileges they claim unto themselves, it is a matter of wonder and astonishment to me, that they are not all of them timely looked unto, and it stranges me most of all, that there should be any of those Sectaries permitted through the Kingdom to bear any office of charge committed unto them, or to have any other weapon offensive or defensive in their hands, then a bodkin or a thimble, which were the only iron many of them wore before these times; for it is well known that all the Sectaries in the Kingdom within these six years, were as much afraid of the Artillery Guarden, and of the Military Yard, as they were afraid of a Cathedral Church; and the roaring of the Ordnance and Canons, and the noise of a volley of shot, the sound of a Trumpet, and the beating of a Drum were as formidable Music in their ears, as the noise of a pair of Organs or Sackbuts, or the singing of the Choristers in Paul's, Westminster-Abb • y, or in the Kings Chapel, and yet now they can begin to talk of the sword in their hands. It is not good that such children as these are should be suffered to have such dangerous weapons in their fingers. It was not thought fit by our Fore-fathers, who were commended for their wisdom, that any Papists should sit in the Parliament, and our ever to be honored Worthies now sitting in that great Conncell did not think it for the Kingdoms safety, that any Papist should be of the Kings Council; and at the first sitting of the Parliament no Monopolists, or Gatherers of Ship-money, or Pattentees, or any such creatures, though they were lawfully chosen by the people were suffered to sit in Parliament, but were thrust out as being suspected they would prove bad instruments to the State; and therefore I say notwithstanding the people's election they were immediately dismissed the great Council, and the people were to make a new choice. For my own particular I will speak my conscience in this point, and leave it to the judgment of all intelligible and wise men, such as love their Religion and Country, I see no reason that any Sectary whatsoever, whether Independent, Antinomian, Anabaptist, Seeker, &c. or any Fugitives that have ran over into Holland, or New-England to set up new Churches there, should be suffered to sit in the Great Council of the Kingdom, which without doubt will with all their ability and power labor to maintain their several factions, all which tend to the ruin • of this State and Kingdom, and to the destruction of all our liberties; and therefore I conceive they are as dangerous as ever the Papists were; yea, the tenets of many of them are more destructive to all Government then ever those of the Jesuits were, or the most inveterate Papist that ever yet put pen to paper, and if the Papists were not suffered to sit in Parliament, I shall ever believe it will not consist with the safety of the Land, that any Sectary what ever should sit in the great Council, especially it being daily perceived that all the Sectaries through the land have their encouragement from some of them to do mischief everywhere, but if the people through the Kingdom will not humbly perition the Parliament, that all such with all Minors and Novices should be put out of the Parliament, it being proclaimed by God himself as a curse to that people who have children for their Princes, Isa. 3. whether they be children in respect of years or discretion, then it is a sad presage of that kingdoms and countries ruin, where the people are not only divided amongst themselves, but their councils also, which they are through the whole land in all their Committees by reason of these Sectaries and Independents on all sides, who are the only fomenters of factions and divisions, and by this means have got all the wealth and riches of the Land into their own hands, with most of the strength▪ with the ruin and miseries of many. The Lord open the eyes of all the people that they may timely see into their danger, and petition the Great Council, that all the Sectaries may be removed out ofall offices, and Committees, and places of trust through the Kingdom. But if any of them shall brag of any service done for the State, it is well known they were not the only Actors in that employment, but ten to one better Christians then themselves did the work, though they have got all the honor from them, and have been ever well paid for it, when the other wanted their monies, and therefore they having been so well regarded already above others they may hold their peace, and be latisfied; for it is well known that not one of a thousand of them before the wars begun was worth anything, yet now they are known to be very rich and wealthy, when such as were borne to great estates, and were as serviceable to the Parliament, and faithfuller to it, with fewer self ends then they have been, are many of them destitute of Livelyhood, and many more of them by the calumnies and lies of the Independents and Sectaries, are now in disgrace, and all their service is forgotten, all the which things, besides the dangerousness of these men's Doctrines, should teach all men to avoid and shun both their teachings, and teachers, and complices, and abettors.
This I thought fit out of my love to my country, and out of my desire of all men's salvation to speak. If my words shall find any esteem, or any shall for sake the errors of their new ways, by seeing the truth, I shall rejoice and count myself happy; but if men resolve to persist in their erroneous opinions and by-paths of ignorance, I will say with the Apostle, 1 Cor. 14. 38. He that is ignorant let him be ignorant still.
THE Vtter Routing of the whole Army of all the INDEPENDENTS and Sectaries, with the total overthrow of their Hirarchy, that new Babel, more groundless than that of the Prelates.
T He Apostle Saint Paul in the fourth of the Ephesians, exhorting all Christians to walk worthy of the Vocation whereunto they were called, and to behave themselves as beseemed Brethren; wisheth them with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering and patience, to bear one with another in love: And useth a forceable Argument, to move them to brotherly kindness, Because, saith he, there is but one body and one spirit and one hope of Salvation: We all worship one God, we are all consecrated to him with one Baptism, and we all hope for one and the self-same glory: Therefore as there is but one Lord, one faith, one Baptism; so be ye also of one mind, live in love, and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace. If ever there was need of this exhortation, there is now singular use of it, especially in this distracted Nation wherein we live. For the division of a Kingdom is the ruin of it: the division of a family destroys it: the division between brethren brings a confusion amongst them. It hath ever been observed, That diversity of judgment & opinion hath made a difference in affection. The difference between the Jews and the Samaritans in points of Religion, made the Disciples desire, That fire might come down from heaven to end that controversy. The difference between us and the Papists, and the diversity of opinions between us, made them, because they could not bring down fire from heaven, fetch it out of hell, to blow up the Parliament; and because that had not the desired effect, and the diversity of opinion still remaining, makes the difference of their affection from us so great, that nothing can expiate their indignation against us, but the utter internetion and destruction of us all; and this and this only, next unto our own sins, is the cause of all those fatal calamities this miserable kingdom is now embroiled with. And therefore, all care and diligence among brethren, should be used to get a right understanding one of another, and to move them to bear one with another, and ever to call to mind the saying of Abraham to Lot, Gen. 13. Let not us contend together for we are brethren. I am most assured, if there were a right understanding of the differences that are now among brethren, there could not be such bitter expressions one against another, and such alienation of affection as is now too frequent and too well known to the common enemy. We are commanded, If it be possible, as much as lies in us, to be in in peace with all men, Rom. 12. 18. And the fruits of discord are set down in the 5 th of the Galatians verse 15. If saith the Apostle ye bite and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed one with another, and in the 20. verse. Hatred saith the Apostle, varience, emulation, strife, heresies &c. and envyings are of the flesh, and they that do such things shall not enter into the Kingdom of God. A double misery follows those that do these things, misery here, and misery hereafter, it excludes men out of heaven. The contemplation of the sad condition, that will inevitably come upon that Land, Kingdom, and Church, where those variances and heart-burnings are, and where there is such diversity of opinions, and by reason of them, such difference in affection, put me chiefly upon this employment, to see and try, if by any possible means, I could, by showing wherein the difference between the brethren lieth, be an instrument of a good accord amongst them: resolving with myself by God's assistance whatsoever others do, to observe to the uttermost of my abilities, the royal Law, Jan. 2. 8. I do conceive, that if there were a right understanding one of another's opinions, the world would wonder there should be such invectives in every pamphlet one against another, and such varience among those that are joined together and that with nighest relations. The truth is, the mis-understanding of each others opinions and the mis-prisian of each others intentions, is the only cause of this diversity of affection which to the dishonor of God and of our holy profession, and indeed to the disgrace of Christian Religion, everywhere too much venteth it self. And therefore as Abraham said unto Lot, so say I to all those that love the truth in sincerity and wish the Peace of Zion; Let not us contend, especially with evil language, for we are brethren; we have one father, we worship one God, we have one light, one truth, one way. And this I profess to all the world, That I contend not for victory, but for that ancient light, the faith once delivered unto the Saints, Jude 3. For that truth which we have heard from the beginning, 1 John 2. ver. 14. for the old way, verse 6. The way the truth and the life, John. 14. and for the honor of that Church against which the gates of hell can never prevail; in the which there are all those undeceiveable marks, as are able forever to declare her to be built upon the foundation of Peter, in which the Gospel of Jesus Christ is purely and sincerely both preached and believed, and where the Sacraments are rightly administered, and in the which there is the true invocation of God, and all other requisites that make her a true Church; and from which there is no just cause of separation. That I have dedicated this Treatise to no man, nor sought the patronage of any Authority, no mortal creature I presume, will blame me, knowing my Reasons. For writing in defense of the Prerogative Royal of Kings, against Papal Usurpation; I dedicated my book unto the King of great Britain, France, and Ireland, supposing myself safe under his protection, whose honor and imperial dignity I maintain: but all men know, what misery to the ruin of me, my wife, and many small children came upon me by it, through the power and exorbitant authority of the Prelates: so that for my duty and Loyalty to the King, I had a prison for my reward, and the scorns and contumelies of the world to comfort me in it. And when I most humbly petitioned his highness, complaining against the injustice done me, and most submissively supplicated his Majesty (who was the Caesar to whom only I could then appeal) that he would be pleased to grant me one of these humble requests, either That his Majesty would be pleased, but for one hour to give me a hearing of my just defense; or if that could not be granted, That at lest he would then grant me that liberty in his Kingdom, that he denied not to Crows and Kites and other Vermin, that I might provide for my young ones; and if his highness would not be pleased to condescend unto either of the former just demands, That then he would give me leave to depart the Kingdom, and to go into any other Country where I might enjoy my Liberty and provide for my poor distressed family. I am most assured there was never a more equal Petition put up to any Prince in the world, yet his Majesty vouchsafed not to yield unto any of these my requests, nor to any other Petition put up either by my poor distressed wife or calamitous children; so that without any wrong unto his Majesty, I may truly say, That Paul found more favor from a Heathen Roman Caesar, then I had from a Christian King, the defender of the faith. After I saw all possibility of relief was now taken from me, I writ my Apology to the Bishops themselves, discovering unto them their unjust proceedings in their Courts, and their unrighteous dealings towards myself, and gave them my reasons of all I spake, without any offensive language and without any perturbation of Spirit; and Dedicated this my Book to the Lord's of his Majesty's Privy Council, expecting aid and relief from them, and indeed I had no hope of succor from any other, nor knew none to whom I could better apply myself, earnestly imploring their patronage; but they, as it is well known, of Patrons became my unjust Judges, and after they had made me a spectacle to Men and Angels, and exposed me to the scorn and ludibry of the world, sent me into banishment, where I lived a living death and a dying life, and suffered such intolerable misery of all sorts, as would exceed belief to relate; and I am most confident, if all the particulars were truly known, the world never heard the like, and there I had ended my doleful life, had not God of his infinite mercy called this Parliament, and put into their hearts to redeem me from my captivity; for the which incomparable favor, I do, as of duty I am ever bound, profess myself to the last drop of my blood to be their servant in the Lord, and in all their most just and honorable employments; I hope, with all fidelity to answer to the expectation of the world, and shall in life and death show myself to be one, that without all by-respects shall ever aim at the glory of God▪ the honor of them and my Country, and the common good of all: and shall never by God's assistance do anything in their concernment, that shall be unbeseeming a Man and a Christian. Now because by my sad experience, I found that I could neither from King nor Nobles have protection, I resolved never anymore in God's matters, to shroud myself under any covert but Divine Providence, and that, I with an assured confidence promise myself, especially when I now maintain the prerogative royal of the King of Saints, & King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is our Lawgiver, upon whose shoulders the government of his Church is laid, who is the wonderful Counselor, the Prince of peace; whose dignity and royalty in all this dispute between me and Mr. Walter Montague, I have to the uttermost of my power maintained, under the shadow of whose wings I have ever found there is only safety; whose blessed assistance, in all calamities, they that trust in him, may be most assi • ed of. His patronage now and his defense, is my shield, whose cause and the honor of whose kingdom at this time I contend for. And howsoever, in all my life, in all human learning, I was never so wedded to my own resolves, but▪ upon better reason I could easily be divorced from them, yet in God's matters, if an Angel should come from Heaven and teach me, that, that there were another way to happiness, then by that new and living way, the blood of Jesus Christ, who was the Lambeslaine from the beginning of the world, I would count him Anathema. Or if an Angel should tell me there were a new way of worshipping God, and serving him, then that which God himself hath set down in his holy Word, I would account him accursed; for I have learned to believe God and Faith upon their word and bond, without any either Angelical or Human reason, or the authority of Coun • else and Fathers: and whatsoever I find a warrant in God's Word for, I have learned to cleave close to it against all human reason, supposing such men none of God's, nor Faiths, truest friends that will not believe them upon their own word and bond, except they have reason, human authority, Councils, and Fathers, and • aine traditions joined with them for sureties. Again, if any man should go about to persuade me, that there were any other government established in the Church of God, then an Aristocratical and a Presbyterian one, I should notwithstanding all human reason to the contrary, submit myself to that kind of government, as being most confidently assured that it is warranted in God's Word; which all Christians are bound forever to make the Rule and Square, both of our faith, manners and government. And here I must mind all those that shall read this Book, that this is no new opinion of mine, but that which I have once and again suffered for▪ and if ever they have read my Elenchus religions papisticiae, or my Flagellum pontificis, or my Apology, or any of my Latin Books, in all those they will find, that the cause of all my sufferings was this, and this only, That I maintained that all Churches were to be governed by an Aristocratical and Presbyterian government, which in those Books I have clearly and fully (through God's assistance) made good. Yea, in in my answer to the Bill of Information put up against me in the Star-chamber, they shall have some reasons I gave there, of this my tenent, to the Lord's of his Majesty's Hrivie Council, and Judges in the Star-chamber; so that I stand to my principles and am no starter. And if then amongst God's people it was thought an opinion worthy the suffering for, and my Christian brethren deemed me worthy of honor for it, and afforded me their prayers, and shown me and mine in all our distresses, many curtesies, when we found little favor from our own brethren (which their humanity I must never forget, but with all due thankfulness forever acknowledge) I say, if then this my opinion was thought Orthodox, and worthy of their applause, I see no good reason why a truth then should not be counted a truth now; for the Word of God out of which I had it, is the same, and if it were good then, it is good now: for the change of men's minds cannot change the truth, but it must be ever truth: but this my opinion I learned out of God's Word then which shall be forever, by his gracious assistance the warrant of my belief and practice. This Word therefore, I desire all my Christian Brethren, in the deciding of this question now agitated, amongst God's people and his faithful servants, concerning Church-government, to take into their hands, and with those noble B • reans to sit down and examine whatsoever shall be said on either side according to the holy Scrigtures: and I entreat them also to lay aside all passion (which Religion has no need of) and all vain-glory and bitterness, which is a dishonor to our holy calling, and in the spirit of meekness, and with a Virgin judgment, not ravished with any previous or anticipated opinion, to come and approach to the Altar of truth, and so consider and examine, which of those two opinions the Brethren on both sides now sacrifice themselves unto, be the offering that will best endure the firy-trial, 1 Cor. 3. 13, 14, 15. viz. Whether the Presbyterian government Dependent, or a Presbyterian government Independent, both now laid upon the Altar, be the acceptablest service, and best pleasing sacrifice. This is granted on all sides, and of necessity it must be yielded unto, that that Oblation is the best and most acceptable that is offered up by faith, without which it is impossible to please God, and that sacrifice only is offered up by faith, which is according to his Word, and has its warrant from his revealed will, which is the rule both for worship and the government of his Church we are to be guided by. The Brethren on both sides agree about the rule in deciding of this Coutroversie and make the written word the rule. They agree also about the materials, both acknowledging a Presbytery, the difference between them is only, about the mould and manner of the offering. I will therefore state the questions between us, and show wherein we differ, and then set▪ down my own opinion with my reasons, and after endeavor to be a Moderator for the determining of this unhappy difference, which hath been an occasion of so much rejoicing to the common Enemy.
There is a twofold question between us, they call the Presbyterians, and our Brethren they term Independents. The first is concerning the government of the Church, vi • . whether it be Presbyterian Dependent, or Presbyterian Independent. The second question is, concerning the gathering of Churches: but of that in its due place. The first question is whether many Congregations or Christian Assemblies (commonly called Churches in our dialect) in the which there are all the acts of worship, or all Ordinances, as the pure preaching of the Gospel, the due and right administration of the Sacraments, the true invocation of God, Discipline rightly executed, and all other performances, which make for the essence and form of a true Church, and in the which assemblies likewise, they have all such officers and helps of Government▪ as in their several places being rightly employed, may serve for the edification of the same, and mutual comfort and benefit of each other, and the preservation ofall, as Presbyters, doth preaching and ruling and Deacons, and all other Officers; I say the question between us and the brethren is, Whether all these several Congregations and Assemblies, may be accounted but one Church, or make but one Church within their Precincts; and be to be under the government and rule of one Presbytery, or a Council or College of many Presbyters together, upon which, all the Congregations and several Assemblies under it are to depend; and to which in all weighty businesses they are to appeal, for any injury or conceived wrong, or scandal; or for redress of any abuses in Doctrine or manners, and for the exercising of Church-Discipline upon incorrigable and scandalous offenders; as admonition for giving offense, suspension from the Ordinances till amendment and reformation; or if obstinate, Excommunion? Or whether everyone of those particular Congregations, or Assemblies be they never so small, severally or considered a part, and by themselves be Independent; that is to say, have full and plenary authority within themselves, without reference to this, or any other great Council or Presbytery, for transacting or determining all differences about faith or manners amongst themselves, or for the redressing of any grievances or abuses, or the exercising of the power of Discipline or jurisdiction, and from the which there is no appeal for relief, though the parties offended conceive they have never so much injury or wrong done them? In a word, whether two Presbyters with a slender Congregation, have an absolute kind of Spiritual Sovereignty among themselves, in their own Congregation, and as ample authority as was given to the whole College of the Apostles, Mat. 18. and to the whole Presbytery in the Church of Jerusalem? And this is the first Question: Which that it may the better be understood, I will propound it in a simile, and that in a matter well known unto all men: The government of this famous City of London, and of many other great Cities through the Kingdom, are called Corporations, that is to say, majestracies; and have in them a Secular or Civil Signory or Presbytery, who are invested with Anthority to exercise all acts of Government amongst themselves, as if they were an absolute Principality; and this Government, by which all Citizens and inhabitants within their Precincts and liberties, are to be ruled and ordered, as occasion and necessity shall require, is committed to the Lord Mayors, Aldermen, and Common-Council, who only by such other Officers as they shall elect and choose, are to manage and exercise this government so, that all particular Citizens, and all the Companies of several Tradesmen, are in their particular Wards, Precincts, and Fellowships, by their constitutions and Charter, to depend upon the determination of that Counsel, and are to make their addresses unto them upon any urgent occasion, or conceived wrong, or when it concerns the common good, and for the time to stand unto their arbitrement. Now then, the question between us and our Brethren is, as if there should arise a controversy in these several Corporations; Whether the Companies in each City where they all have their several Halls, and their several assemblies and meetings upon all occasions, and have all their Officers, and exercise also a power of ruling and jurisdiction among themselves be independent, that is to say, have plenary authority within themselves without reference to the Lord Mayor or Aldermen or Common-counsel, to determine of all things among their several Companies, and from the which there is no appeal for relief; though one be never so much injured and damnified by any unjust act; and whether these several Companies and several Assemblies be each of them a several Corporation or Magistracy, or all of them put together make but one Corporation, under one civil Presbytery consisting of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-counsel? This I thought fit to propound, that everyone may the better understand the question. Now, as this kingdom of England hath its several Porporations through all Pounties, and the which Porporations, although they have their several Pompanies in them, yet are all dependent upon a civil Presbytery and Common-counsel, and every Company in them makes not a several Porporation or Magistracy, or a several City, but are all dependent upon the Common-counsel or Presbytery, for the better ordering and governing of them in all their common affairs, and for the redressing of abuses, and taking away and removing of common grievances, and have their several appeals to the Common-counsel, the Lord Mayor, and Aldermen; and if they find no justice there nor satisfaction, have their redress and appeal to some general Court, or some supreme judicature, as to the Parliament of the Kingdom, who redress and determine all things according to the laws and constitutions of the whole Kingdom. So in the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is his Church, all these several Churches which we read of in the holy Scrupture of the New Testament, are so many several Corporations and Associations, all the several congregations and assemblies as so many several Companies in them, depending upon a Presbytery or Common-counsel and College of Pastors and Rulers, all making up but one Church in everyone of their jurisdictions and several Precincts, though they be consistent of never so many several Assemblies, according to the greatness of the Cities or Towns wherein they are, or according to the several Hundreds or Divisions assigned to each Presbytery, and all these several associations to be groverned by their several Presbyteries for the better ordering and preserving of the same, to the which every particular man, as well as any Assembly or Congregation, may have their appeal for the redress of any abuses or enormities, and if they find themselves wronged there, then they have appeals to some other higher Presbytery or Counsel of Divines for relief and justice; and both they and all other of the several Corporations to be governed and regulated by the Laws and Statutes given by Christ himself, the only Head and King of his Church, according only to whose laws they are to be governed and ruled for the common good and preservation of the whole Church, divided into those several Jurisdictions, Corporations or Precincts, in imitation as near now as may be of the Churches of Jerusalem, Ephesus, Corinth, and Galatia, &c. and whose laws alone must be the rule for the ordering of all their government, doctrine, and manners.
I have premised this I have now said, that all men may the better understand the state of the Question and controversy in hand. Now then, if it shall be made appear out of the holy Scripture, That all the several Churches we have mention of in the New Testament, were all particular corporations or associations, and governed by a Common-Council of Presbyters, or by a Presbyterial government in each of them; and that there were many assemblies and congregations in those several Churches, and all of them had their distinct Officers amongst themselves, in the which likewise they had all the Acts of Worship amongst themselves, and did partake in all ordinances of Church-fellowship, especially in the preaching of the Word, Prayer, & in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and yet made but one Church, and were all governed by a common-counsel of Presbyters, or by a common Presbyterie within their Precincts, then it must of necessity follow, that as the Mother-churches were first governed, all the Daughter-churches to the end of the world must be so governed, and according to that rule that is set down in the Word of God. So then, the question in hand between us and our Brethren is, Whether, there were many Congregations and Assemblies in any of those primitive Churches, as in that of Jerusalem the Mother Church, and many Elders or Presbyters in that Church, and all other Officers; and whether all those Congregations and Assemblies were one Church, and those Presbyters and Officers all of them Elders and Officers of that one Church, and whether all those Congregations and Assemblies were under one Presbytery? Which is the opinion of the Presbyterians, and the contrary that of the Independents. This I say is the question between us and our Brethren. Now then if it can be proved, that there were more Believers in the Church of Jerusalem then could all meet in one place, or in one congregation for all acts of worship; and if it can be evidently elucidated, that there were several assemblies and congregations in the Church of Jerusalem, & yet so, as they made but one church for government; then our Brethren must of necessity acknowledge that the church of Jerusalem, was governed by a common-council of Presbyters, or was presbyterially governed. Neither did our Brethren ever yet undertake to prove, that in case there were many Assemblies in Jerusalem, they had several and independent presbyteries, neither it they should go about to prove, could they do it. And therefore we may conclude, and that with very good reason and warrantable authority, that as the Mother-church, the church of Jerusalem, in her greatest glory was governed, so all other Churches must likewise be regulated to the end of the world; For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, & the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem, Isaiah 2. v. 3. We must have both our Law from thence, and our pattern of government. And out Brethren do make the Church of Jerusalem the pattern of their proceedings.
Now that all things may be handled in good order and in a methodical way, I will reduce the whole Disputation concerning the first Question into these four Propositions, and prove them in order. The first, That there were many Congregations and several Assemblies of Believers in the Church of Jerusalem, in the which they enjoyed all acts of worship, and all the Ordinances amongst themselves, and did partake of all acts of Church-fellowship, especially of preaching, and in the administration of the Sacraments and Prayer, and that before the Persecution we read of, Acts 8. v. 1. The second, That all these Congregations and several Assemblies made but one Church. The third, That the Apostles and Elders governed, ordered, and ruled this Church, jointly and by a Commoncounsell and Presbytery. The fourth, That this Church of Jerusalem and the government of the same, is to be a pattern for all several congregations and assemblies in any City or vicinity to unite into one Church; and for the Officers of those congregations to govern that Church jointly in a College or Presbyterie.
But before I come to the proof of these particulars, it will not be amiss in general to take notice that all the Churches we read of in the New Testament, were Aristocratically and Presbyterially governed, and were all dependent upon their several Presbyteries; and that the ordering and managing of that government lay only upon the Presbyterie; and was their peculiar who had the power of the Keys. Now Christ gave the Keys to the Apostles and Presbyters only, and whatsoever the Apostles did in ordering and settling the government of the Church, they did by Christ's command; and that order and constitution they set down in the Church, was to be perpetuated and continued to the end of the world. And the violating of this order and divine constitution, was the occasion of the rise and growth of Antichrist, and the very cause of all those confusions that the Christian world hath for these many generations been wearied and annoyed with; and the occasion of all those Schisms, Sects, and Heresies the world hath ever swarmed with: and the re-establishing and reducing of it to its pristine constitution, will be a means not only of removing all scandal, and taking away of all division amongst Brethren, and be a singular means also of establishing a flourishing government in Church & State, and for the procuring of the blessings of God upon the three Kingdoms, but a way also of ruining that Man of Sin, and of making an absolute Reformation through the whole world.
Let us therefore first take notice what government was established by God in all the Primitive Churches, Acts 14. 23. And when they had ordained them Presbyters (for so it is in the original) in every Church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. Here are two things observable. The first that the government of the Church was committed to the Presbyters. The second, that the Presbyterial government was that government that was established in every Church; for so saith the Holy Ghost, when they had ordained them Presbyters in every Church. This was God's ordinance, Acts 20. 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the Presbyters of the Church. Here we see there were many Presbyters in one Church. And Verse 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, saith the Apostle, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops, to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. Here, as we may observe, that in God's Dialect, Presbyters and Bishops were all one, so likewise is evident that the Church was committed to their government: this Church therefore of Ephesus was under a Presbytery, and was to be regulated jointly by them by a common-council of Presbyters. And Paul to Titus, chap. 1. verse. 5. For this cause, saith he, life I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest put in order the things that are wanting, and ordain Presbyters in every City, as I appointed thee. If any man be blameless, &c. for a Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God, &c. From this place likewise we may take notice of the parity between Presbyter and Bishop, and that the Presbyterian government was that way of ruling that God appointed, not in one City only, but in every City, and that these Presbyters were the Stewards in God's house, which is his Church, 1 Tim. 3. and had the government of those Churches in every City laid upon them, which they were jointly to govern and order by the common-counsel of Presbyters. And Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy, chap. 5. v. 17. Let the Presbyters, saith he, that rule well, be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in word and doctrine. Still we ever observe, that the rule and government of the Church was in the Presbyters hands. And the Author to the Epistle to the Hebrews, ch. 13. 7. Remember, saith he, them that have the rule over you, who have spake unto you the Word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. And verse. 17. Obey, saith he, them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, &c. And in verse. 24. Salute all them, saith he, that have the rule over you, and all the Saints. Here again he enjoins all the Churches to yield obedience, and to submit themselves unto the government of the Presbyterie, showing them that it is their place to obey, and for their Ministers to rule; and that so long as they command in the Lord, they out of conscience ought to obey them, and that for a double reason; For they watch, saith he, for your souls, and they must also give an account of their stewardship. And in 1 Peter 5, 1, 2, 3. The Presbyters that are among you, saith Saint Peter, I exhort, who am also a Presbyter, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed; feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the over sight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, &c. neither as being Lord's over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And Saint James chap. 5. ver. 14. Is any among you sick? saith he, let him call for the Presbyters of the Church. He doth not say of the Churches, but of the Church. So that the Presbyterian government was in every Church, and every Church was to submit itself unto the Presbytery. And in Acts 15. it is said, that Paul and Barnabas went up to the Apostles and Presbyters, &c. And when they came to Jerusalem they were received of the Church (it is not said of the Churches, but of the Church) and of the Apostles and Presbyters, &c. and Verse 6. And the Apostles and Presbyters came together to consider of the matter, &c. and Vers. 22. Then pleased it the Apostles and Presbyters with the whole Church, &c. and wrote Letters by them after this manner. The Apostles, and Presbyters, and Brethren. And Acts 21. 17. And when we were come to Jerusalem, saith Saint Luke, the Brethren received us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us in to James, and all the Presbyters were present. From all which places, and many more which might be produced, it is most clear and evident, that in all Cities there was a Presbytery, and that the Presbyters had the power of order, namely, of preaching, and the power of jurisdiction, that is of ruling, which was ever to be exercised with others, and not alone; and that consisted in admitting of members, and in conventing men before them upon occasion, in admonishing if any offended, in suspending them from the holy Communion till reformation or amendment; and if they continued obstinate and incorrigble, in excommunicating and casting of them out of the Church, and upon repentance, in receiving of them in again, and in ordaining of Officers, and in appointing the times of meeting, and the places where.
And within these limits, as I conceive, is all the power given to the Presbyters terminated, and this they are by God's Ordinance jointly and by the common-counsel of Presbyters to exercise, and it peculiarly belongeth unto them; and therefore the Presbyterian government was the order of ruling and governing all Churches, that God himself established, and is to be continued unto the end of the world; neither do I ever read, that the people or the congregations were joined with them in their commission, or had any power given them of ruling. For Saint Paul professeth of himself in 1 Cor. 14. 37. that whatsoever he writ in his Epistles Were the Commands of the Lord. And the same may be said of all the other Apostles. Now Paul writ to Titus, that the Churches in all Cities should be governed by a Presbytery. And in the first Epistle to Timothy he commands Timothy again and again in chap. 5. verse. 21. and in chap. 6. v. 12, 13. I give thee charge in the sight of God, saith he, That thou keep this Command without spot, unblameable till the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here Timothy and all Ministers in him, are to the end of the world bound to maintain that government unblameable that was appointed by the Apostles; and that was the Presbyterian government, and the ruling of all Churches by joint consent, and a common counsel or College of Presbyters; so that nothing ought to be done or transacted of public concernment without their joint and mutual accord or agreement and common consent of the Presbytery. And therefore when Diotrephes assumed unto himself and his particular congregation a power and authority to rule according to his will and pleasure, without the consent of the Presbytory, & opposed John the Presbyter, he sharply reproves his proceedings and signifies to the Church Epist. 3. That when he came he would remember his words, and teach him how to prate against the Presbytery with malicious words; For he (saith S. John) contenteth not himself only to prate maliciously against us, but he will not receive his brethren, nor suffer others, but casteth them out of the Church; which is an evil thing in him; saith Saint John: But for you, saith he, speaking to the Church, follow not that which is evil but that which is good. It was evil in him to assume unto himself alone, and his particular Congregation, that power that belonged unto the college or council of Presbyters, and was to be moderated and exercised only by the conjoynt and common consent of the Presbytery. For God had appointed, that his Church should be governed by a Presbytery; and Diotrephes would have his Congregation Independent, and have an absolute jurisdiction within itself, Which, saith Saint John, is an evil thing. So that I cannot but wonder our brethren the Independents should call Diotrephes the Patriarch of the Presbyterians, as one of them did to me not long since; whereas if the place be du • lie weighed and considered; it will appear that he was the first that opposed the Presbyterian Govenment, and for the which he was by Saint John sharply reproved, and in him, all that follow his steps, and will not submit themselves to the Presbytery which is God's Ordinance, and that will not receive the brethren into the Churches, but upon their own terms and conditions. But of this business when I come to the second Question.
In the mean time I must here make reply to what Mr Knollys by way of Answer hath to say to this Argument drawn from Diotrephes his practice which was occasioned as I related before, by reason of a discourse between me and an Independent, who affirmed, That Diotriphes was the patriarch of all the Presbyterians: which opinion of his Mr Knollys doth seem to favor, as by his words may appear, but I hope to make the contrary more evident then yet it hath been, viz. That Diotrephes was the primate of the Independents, and of all those of the congregational way. But first I will set down Mr Knollys his words at large, to take away all occasions of their calumniating tongues, who ordinarily use to say, That we keep from the world their Arguments, that we may the better delude the people, and hold them in ignorance. His words therefore by way of answer to that Argument are these.
Now let the reader judge (saith he) whether the Doctor be not much mistaken in his commentary exposition and application of this place of Scripture. And let me give you to understand, that Saint John saith verse the 9. I wrote unto the Church. But seeing no mention is made of any particular congregation, how can the Doctor so confidently affirm that it was his particular congregation? Now the reader may see plainly, that the Doctor can expound those brethren and their Elders or Presbyters, which the Scripture calls a Church, to be a particular congregation. And what it was which Saint John had written to the Church is not in this Epistle, nor in any other Scripture delcared, except it was, to receive those brethren which he saith ver. 8 ought to be received, and ver. 10 whom Diotrephes would not receive, how then doth the Doctor say that Diotrephes assumed that power to himself, which belonged unto the College and Council of Presbyters, without whose joint and mutual agreement, and common consent nothing ought to be done or transacted of public concernment? is the receiving of brethren, or casting out of brethren a power which belongs to a college of Presbyters, and neither the one nor the other may be transacted by the Elders and Brethren of a particular congregation unless the Court or common-council of Presbyters conjointly consent unto it? Let it be also considered, that D otrephes opposed the brethren and forbad them that would have received those who Saint John saith verse. the 8. we ought to receive, yea and cast them out verse 10. of the Church, to wit, excommunicate them. Doth it hereby appear that Diotrephes would have his congregation Independent, and have an absolute jurisdiction within it self? No, but Diotrephes would lord it over the Church, and have the preeminency above his brethren, whether fellow-Elders or fellow Saints. Diotrephes loving the primacy amongst them, he would be the Primate and Metropolitan of the Church, and have the preeminency of all the Presbyters in it, and brethren of it. The Doctor could have urged this Scripture against the domineering Prelates, and why should he marvel, that his brethren should now urge it against the Court of Presbyters. It is confessed that Diotrephes did that which was evil in usurping authority over the Church and those brethren he cast out of the Church; But that he was the first that opposed the Presbyterian government, or that he did affront a Court or common▪council of Presbyters, it is more then I know, or the Doctor can prove. For had Diotrephes done so, why was he not convented before them? Surely the Apostle Saint John would rather have written to the college of Presbyters (if there were any such) then to the Church, or in writing to the Church, would tather have sent him a summons to appear at some consistory before the Court and common-council of Presbyters, then to warn them to take heed of hi • evil, that they did not follow it. And doubtless St John would have written thus: Diotrephes loves to be a Primate amongst you, wherefore when the Presbytery, that is to say, the Magistracy or Signiory of grave, solid, learned, religious, and wise Divines and Ministers come to keep order, and meet together in a Court and common-council, I will remember his deeds, and inform, or complain to the Court and common-council of Presbyters, that he prates against us (the Presbyters) with malicious words. But the Apostle Saint John (did not know any Court or Common-council of Presbyters, neither Classical nor Synodical, to appeal unto) Nor can the Doctor make good those appeals he mentioneth page 10▪ to be according to the Scripture of truth, to wit, that every particular man, as well as any assembly or congregation, may have their appeals to the Presbytery of their Precinct, hundred, or division under whose jurisdictions they were, and if they found themselves wronged there, that they have appeals to some other higher Presbytery or Council of Divines for relief and justice. I only ask the Doctor how he can prove those appeals by Scripture; and if he could, whether that higher Presbytery or council of Divines (especially if they may say the Holy Ghost and we) be not as Independent as these brethren and their churches, against whom the Doctor hath written. And if so, then such a high Presbytery or council of Divines, is not God's Ordinance by the Doctors own confession and affirmation. Therefore the Apostle writes to the Church or particular congregation whereof Diotrephes was a Member and an Elder, whom he knew had power to judge him as well as the Church or particular congregation of Corinth had power to judge them that were members therein, 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13. and therefore might as warantably admonish Diotrephes as the Church of Colossae might Archipus: Coloss. 4. 17. And if nothing of public concernment ought to be done or transacted without the joint and mutual accord or agreement, and common consent of the Presbytery; John the Presbyter would not have transgressed so far, as to take upon himself this authority over Diotrephes to tell the Church of his faults, and to say, he would remember him and sharply reprove him, and teach him to prate against the Presbytery with malicious words, which belonged unto the Court and common-council of Presbyters. But I shall have a just occasion to say more touching this matter, in the answer unto the third question, and therefore passing by the objection with his answer mentioned page 19. to the 29. unto its due place. I shall desire seriously to consider the Doctors proof of his first proposition, which he laboreth first by producing such Scriptures, as he conceiveth make for the manifestation of the truth, and from thence frames and formeth his arguments. Thus Mr Knollys in way of reply speaketh to my argument concerning Diotrephes and of his intention what he will do in the ensuing discourse to all the other arguments.
I have here set down his words at large, omitting only the greek and latin texts which he School-boy-like scribleth, to little other purpose than to show his own vanity, and to persuade the ignorant people, that he is some-body in the Greek and Latin tongue (which kind of learning notwithstanding the most of his fraternity generally despise and contemn) I have therefore omitted them, especially having learned this lesson from Saint Paul, 1 Cor. chap. 13. verse. 19. rather to speak five words to the understanding of the people, that I might teach others, then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. And truly unless there be some controversy concerning the Interpretation or about the text (as there is not here) I conceive it the greatest folly in the world; writing in the vulgar tongue and for the common benefit of all men, to insert sentences either of Greek or Latin, except very varly; for it but pudders the reader that is not skilled in the languages, neither do we find that it was the custom either of the holy Prophets, or any of the ancient Greek or Roman fathers in all their Writings or Sermons, to use any, but their vulgar tongue without it were very seldom and that with interpretation. I say therefore, those flashes being excepted I have punctually set down all that he had to say against any of my arguments both here and everywhere, that neither he nor any of his party may complain, that I had not set down their words in their full strength, and so might fall into the same condemnation with him, who hacketh and minseth my arguments at pleasure, picking and choosing what he thinks himself best able to deal with, either wholly omitting the other or slighting of them which is the ordinary method both of Mr Knollys, J. S. and my brother Burton and all the Independents, wherein they deal not fairly with me, nor ingenuously nor candidly with the people: for in so doing they delude them and merely play the juglers.
This large discourse of Master Knollys, if it be well weighed, hath but little substance in it, it consisting of absurdities and contraditions and flat denials of that which he often granteth. In brief, if the reader will but duly consider every passage of his answer, with whathe grants in the third and the 11. pages of his pamplet, he will speedily perceive, that whiles he labors to confute others, he gives a fatal blow to his own cause, and overthrows that opinion which both he and all those of the congregational way labor to maintain, and withal by the examination of the particulars he will the better discern into the futility of Master Knollys and the vanity of those of his party, that believe & take every word of his, for an Oracle though it be never so distructive totheir own cause. The sum of this his answer is this, that I am mistaken in my comentary exposition and application of this place of Scripture. These are his words.
It will not be amiss therefore, in the first place to take notice what he denieth in his answer, and what he affirmeth, with the reasons of both, that the reader may the more easily perceive the vanity of error and the force and efficacy of truth. First he denieth that Diotrephes would have had an absolvte jurisdiction within himself and have had his Congregation independent, and that he was the first that opposed the Presbyterian Government, or that he had any particular congregation: He denieth also that Saint John knew any Court or Common counsel of Presbyters either Classical or Synodical to appeal to his time. The reasons of his denials are these. First, because saith he, there is no mention made of any particular congregation Diotrephes had. Secondly, it is not declared what it was that Saint John had writ unto the Church in his Epistle nor in any other Scripture, except it were to receive those brethren which Diotrephes would not receive and therefore, how saith God can the D • affirm that Diotrephes asmed theypower to himself which belonged unto the College and council of Presbyters &c? and to prove that Diotrephes was not the first that opposed the Presbyterian government, he saith, had he done so, then he should have been convented before them, which he was not; and therefore he did not oppose a Court or common Council of Presbyters. Besides Saint John would then have wrote rather to the College of Presbyters (if they had been any such) than to the Church, or in writing to the Church would rather have sent him a summons to appear at some Consistory, than to warn them to take heed of his evil, that they did not follow it, and doubtless he would have written thus. Diotrephes loves to be a Primate amongst you: therefore when the Presbytery comes to keep order, and to meet together in a Court common Council, I will remember his deeds, and inform and complain to the Court that he prats against us with malicious words. Now when neither of this was done by the Presbytery, nor by Saint▪ John, it is manifest that Diotrephes did not oppose the Presbytery, and that Saint John then knew not of any Court or common council of Presbyters either Classical or Synodical to appeal to in his time. And then in the third place he putteth me upon the proof of those appeals I made mention of page 10. affirming that I cannot make them good: And in the last place, he afferteth that Saint John w • it to the Church and particular congregation whereof Diotrephes was a member, and that, that congregation had power to judge of him, and the reason of this his assertion, is, because saith he, this Church had the same power over Diotrephes, that the Church of Corinth and that of Colossae had over their members.
Having thus briefly set down what Master Knollys both denies and affirms with the reasons of each, I shall now answer to every several branch in order; and if I be the more large in my reply, I crave pardon, in regard it is not only a business of public concernment and about the principle question now in debate, but that it will give the more light to the wholo following discourse.
For answer therefore to his reason of my mistake, in my commentary exposition and application of that place of Scripture viz: that there is no mention made of any particular congregation that Diotrephes had, I say, there was no need of making any mention of it: For if there were many Presbyters in all the Primative and Apostolical churches, and in that Church by name in which Diotrephes was Presbyter as it is evident out of all the places above quoted as out of the 14. of the Acts and the 15. and 20. and 21. of the same book and the Epistle of Paul to Tit. Chap. 1. ver. 5. and the 1. Epist. o • Pet. chap 5. ver. 1. 2. 3. and the 13. of the Heb. and Saint James the 5. and the 3. Epistle of Saint John which Master Knollys himself acknowledgeth and if it be also apparently evident from all those several Scriptures, (as it is) that those Presbyters were fixed with in their particular jurisdictions, with a special charge given them in common, to look unto the flocks committed unto their charge, and to feed the Church of God which he had redeemed with his precious blood, which word feed includes the Keys, to wit, the power of order and preaching and the authority of jurisdiction and rule, and from the which charge they were not to depart, as too too many of the Independent Ministers now amongst us daily do, leaving the poor sheep in the wilderness: I say when all these things are evident out of the holy Scripture it necessarily followeth, when Diotrephes was an Elder and Presbyter in that Church Saint John writ unto, which Master Knollys confesseth, that he had there his particular congregation, and therefore there was no need of making any mention of it: for very common reason will dictate thus much, to any man, that if any great grasier have ten or twelve thousand sheep and many several walks and places of pasturage to feed them in, and hath several pastors to look unto them all, as not a few Shephards can feed ten or twelve thousands sheep, and gives them all a charge in common of looking to his sheep and feeding them, although all those several pastors are to have a general care of all those sheep that have his mark upon them, and that are within the limits of his several walks and grasing places, yet it is to be understood, that everyone of them hath his several flock committed to him in special for he must not be idle, over the which he is to have the particular inspection and care for the well ordering of it, with this limitation, that he may not wrong the flock, or do anything contrary unto his Masters pleasure, or to the damage or prejudice of his other fellow Pastors or their flock: All this I say, good reason will dictate to any rational man, and daily experience will confirm it.
In the same manner things were ordered, in the primitive and Apostolical Churches, all whose Elders and Pastors in them, had the charge of the several flocks committed to them in common, all the which they were to govern communi consilio presbyterorum as it is by all the Independents themselves confessed: for all those Churches were Aristocratically and Presbyterianly governed: and therefore according to the wisdom and common council of their Elders, this Presbyter had the charge of the sheep of such a ward or walk committed unto his care; and that Elder had such a Circuit committed unto his charge, and a third Elder had such a precinct committed to his cure, and so of the rest, with this proviso always, that all things of public concernment, and that tended to the common good both of sheep and Pastors should be ordered by the joint and common council of the several and respective Presbyters in an orderly and well regulated way: for all things in the Church were to be done in order and decency and uniformity which could never have been, if every Pastor and Presbyter and every particular congregation under them severally would have governed as pleased themselves, without any reference to the College or common counsel of all the Presbyters, which was the failing of Diotrephes here, for which he was greatly blamed by Saint John. And that all those Churches were to be governed by their several Presbyteries, and that the people were not to intermeddle with the government of them Master Knollys himself in the third page of his pamphlet and in the eleventh of the same doth accord, who citing my words in my introduction to my book deduceth from them four conclusions, which I shall by and by set down after I have related the grounds of them.
Before (saith he) the Doctor comes to prove his four particular Propositions, he saith it will not be amiss in general to take notice that all the Churches we read of in the new testament were aristocratically and Presbyterially Governed, and were all Dependent upon the several Presbyters, and produceth divers places of Scripture to prove the same, and two sheets are spent wholly in proving thereof, from the 12 page to the 29. These words Mr Knollys quoteth out of my book. Now hear his answer. All which (saith he) should it be granted, only proves. First, that in every City or Church there was a Presbytery, For they Ordained them Elders in every Church, Act. 14. That thou Ordain Elders City by City, Tit. 1. v. 5. Secondly, that as there were Apostles and Elders in the church of Jerusalem, so there were Elders, in the church of Ephesus Acts the 20. ver. 25. and in the church of Corinth and in the church of Galatia and Philippy, &c. Thirdly, that those several churches were dependent, upon their several Presbyteries, and they were to obey them who had the rule over them, Hebr. 13. 7. 17. 24. Who were their guides, obey your guides. Fourthly, that this Presbyterian church Government God hath appointed as his Ordinance to be continued to the end of the World, the which whosoever resisteth, resisteth the Ordinance of God. These are the four conclusions Master Knolleys gathereth out of my arguments, but with all adds, saying, that all this doth not prove, that this Presbyterian Church government is dependent upon a supreme judicature, to the Decrees of which they must submit themselves and their churches. This saith Mr. Knollys doth not follow; but of that in its due place.
In the mean time it will be much to the purpose, a little to consider his expressions. All which saith he) should it be granted proves: First, &c. to wit, the four conclusions now laid down in this place, I entreat the Reader to behold the vanity of the man, in so speaking, all which sh • uld • t be granted, as if he did me a great courtesy and favor to yield unto me, that which the holy Scripture in ex • resse woe • ds declareth o be the will and pleasure of God and that which I had out of the blessed word of truth sufficiently ev need, and which no man can deny, except he will deny the Scripture and Word of God which hath perspicuously and in fo mall terms set own, that there was a College & Presbyte ie of Elders, orda ned and constituted in very Church or City who were to have the rule over the people in their several congre • ations, within their • r • cin • s w ch M Knollys himself consenteth unto, as is evident by his 4 conclusions. So that if ever there had been any time of denying or not granting, that all the Churches of the New Iestament were all Ar • stocratically and Presbyterianly to be governed, and were so many several Eccle a •• icall Corpo ations, and that all those Scriptures I had produced for the proof of the same, had not been rightly applied and alleged, now had been the time (when this business was in question and agitation) for Mr Knollys to have shown his skill and to have produced the reasons of his dislike and gain-saying, but when he confirmed what I proved, as is manifest from his four conclusions it is a great folly in the man, to say, all which should it be granted, when he himself acknowledgeth as much, and in express terms in the eleventh page of his book hath these words; It is not denied (saith he) by the brethren, (meaning the Independents) that the Presbyters in all Churches, were the men in the Government of the Churches, in which they were Elders: These are his own words, by which he consen • s to that I had written to be true, to wit, that all the Churches of the New Testament were all Aristocratically to be governed, that is, that all the particular congregations under the several Presbyters were to be moderated and regulated Communi consilio Presbyteram: so that if every Congregat on and particular assembly, then the pastor and Elder also of that congregation, as being but a chie • e member of it, is to be ordered and governed by the joint and common council of the whole college of Presbyters, and that by Mr Knollys his own concession from which grant of his, I shall now likewise deduce these ensuing conclusions, which will necessarily follow out of his words, and all of them fatal to his own principles, and to the opinion of those of the congregational way.
The first, that the people are wholly excluded from Government in the Church; for saith he, It is not denied by the brethren, that the Presbyters in all Churches, were the men in Government of the Churches, in which they were Elders: So that the people and Church though presbyterated (as they speak) have not the government in their hands, as indeed they have not, as never having received the Keys, nor never having been made stewards of the Church, nor joined in Commission with the Elders, and therefore they can never either receive in members, or cast out offenders; for all these are acts of Government and belong only to the Rulers of the Church, whom the people are ever to obey in the Lord, as he granteth, and by this he overthrows all that which afterward he affirms, that the Church or Congregation of which Diotrephes was an Elder, had power over him; and this is the first conclusion, that of necessity followeth out of Mr Knollys his words; but more of this in the sequel of this discourse.
The second conclusion that follows out of his words is this That the Government was not put into the hands of any one Elder with his Congregation, but into the hands of many Elders, that is, into the hands of the whole Presbytery, to wit, the Court or College of Presbyters; so that they, and they only, jointly and together, had the power, both to question, convent and censure; for M. Knollys saith, It is not denied by the brethren, but that the Presbyters in all churches were the men in the government: according to that of S. John If I come, I will remember his deeds which he doth prating against us. So that whosoever shall, Diotrephes like, endeavor to alter this government, and assume it to themselves from the other Elders and from the Presbyters, or to invest the people with it, or join them in commission with the Elders, or to arrogate unto themselves or to their particular congregations, an absolute jurisdiction within themselves, and an Independency from them; and shall go about to disgrace and prate against the Presbyters, and labor to bring them into the hatred of the people, and shall take this liberty at pleasure, to cast out whom they will out of their congregations, or to bring in whom they please upon their own terms and conditions, and exercise an absolute Lordly Dominion amongst themselves over their congregations and the several members in them, all such are guilty of Diotrephes his sin, and offend in like manner, and are equally to be blamed as assumers unto themselves of that power which only belongeth to the presbytery; now when all the Independents are guilty of this crime, they may justly with Diotrephes be censurd: and this is the second conclusion that necessarily followeth from Mr. Knollys his words.
The third is this, that there were many congregations in all the primitive churches, and yet made all of them within their several precincts and jurisdictions but one church; for so it was here in the church that Saint John writeth unto, where there were many Elders as Master Knollys confesseth, in the which every Elder had his particular congregation as well as Diotrephes, for they were no way inferior to him; so that, if he had his particular congregation they each of them severally had their congregations likewise, and yet they were all of them to be governed and ruled communi consilio presbyterorum, which kind of government Diotrephes opposing, or refusing obedience unto, and affecting a Supremacy and jurisdiction to himself and his congregation independent from the presbytery, was justly blamed by the Apostle Saint John, in that he prated against the presbyters with malicious words. So that by all that I have now said, these three positions are clearly manifest which Master Knollys denieth, viz: the first, That Diotrephes had a particular congregation. The second that he affected an absolute jurisdicton within himself and to have his congregation independent, and that he was the first that opposed the presbyterian government; for we never read of any that prated malicious words against the Presbyterie before. The third that the church that Saint John writ unto, was governed by the common counsel of the Presbytery at that time, and that Saint John did then acknowledge a Court and common council of Presbyters both Classical and Synodical to appeal unto, all which Master Knollys notwithstanding doth peremptorily deny. But for the fuller elucidation of the truth, I will first make all these propositions good from Master Knollys his own words in this his answer, and then I will prove those several appeals I made mention of page 10. and after that, evidently evince that the people and congregation in any Church have not power to judge their Ministers, and that it is a mere babble in M. Knollys to say, that if nothing of public concernment were to be done without the joint consent of the Presbytery, that then Saint John the Presbyter would not have transgressed so far as to take upon him this authority over Diotrephes, to tell the Church of his faults &c. all these things I will methodically handle, and then go on to answer whatsoever Master Knollys hath to say to all my other arguments in their due places.
And for proof, that Diotrephes had a particular congregation, which Master Knollys saith there was no mention of, waving the reasons above specified, from that nigh relation that is between a Pastor and a flock, which is so much urged by all the Independents, I say waving all those reasons, I will make use of Master Knollys his own words, for it may be, he will believe himself, and perhaps his Disciples and followers and those of the congregational way will give more credit to him, whom they accompt very learned, then to anything I can produce out of the holy Scripture: and if they will duly consider and ponder his expression they will then perceive not only his errors, but how palpably he everywhere contradicteth himself and woundeth their cause, and everteth their opinion, whiles he laboreth with all his power to maintain and defend it.
Diotrephes (saith he) opposed the brethren and forbad them that would have received them, yea and cast them out (ver. 10.) of the Church; to wit, excommunicated them; but doth it hereby appear (saith he) that Diotrephes would have his congregation independent? and have an absolute jurisdiction within it self? N • (saith he) but, Diotrephes would lord it over the Church, and have the Preeminency above his brethren, whether fellow Elders or fellow Saints. By the way, take notice, that in Master Knollys his opinion, Diotrephes was a Saint, Saint Diotrephes therefore let him be even such another Saint as himself and his brethren are. Diotrephes (saith he) loving the primacy amongst them, would be the Primate and Metropolitan of the Church, and have the preeminency of all the Presbyters in it, and brethren of it. And why therefore should the Doctor marvel that his brethren should now urge this place against the Court of Preshyters? Thus Master Knollys while he seems to answer, most maliciously and wickedly calumniates his brethren and labors to persuade the world that the presbyters of our times are like Diotrephes, in affecting Supremacy over their fellow Presbyters and over the churches; and all this to enrage the people against them, when it is they themselves, that would bring all men under their slavery, and have an absolute authority and jurisdiction Independent in their several congregations within themselves, which was the sin of Diotrephes. But out of Master Knollys his words, it appeareth that Diotrephes had a particular congregation: For Church and congregation are Synonimaes in his Dialect, which is yet more clearly evident from his words page the 7. which are these: Therefore (saith he) the Apostle writs to the Church or particular congregation, whereof Diotrephes was a member and an Elder, who he knew had power to judge him. These are Master Knollys formal expressions; out of all which it doth now evidently appear, that there were many Presbyters and many congregations in that Church Saint John writeth unto, and that Diotrophes had his particular congregation amongst them; for so Master Knollys doth in express terms acknowledge, and in so speaking contradicts himself, and vindicates me from the error he accused me of, who affirmed, I was much mistaken in my commentary exposition and application of that place, saying there was no mention made of any particular congregation Diotrephes had, And yet here he asserteth that Saint John writ to the church or particular congregation, whereof Diotrephes was a member and an Elder: so that he hath done my work for me once and again, and made himself guilty of that fault he charged me with page 6 and page 7. By which all men may see not only the conscientiousness and restlessness of the creatures spirit, and the folly of the man who contradicteth himself at every hand, but may also gather that that Church consisted of many congregations, all the which made but one Church within its precinct, and was to be governed by the joint consent and common counsel of the Presbyterie; and that Diotrephes aspiring to the primacy amongst them and seeking to stand singular by himself with his congregation, and to be Independent, and to have no relation or reference to the Presbyters of that Church, became an offender by it, and was therefore severely reproved by Saint John for his so doing, in opposing his brethren in taking in and casting out of what members he pleased, by his sole and absolute authority; all which Mr Knollys accordeth to: whether therefore this were not to make his congregation Independent, and whether Diotrephes was not the first that opposed the Presbyterian government, and affronted a Court and common▪council of Presbyters (seeing we read of none that did these things before him) and whether those that now seek to establish an absolute jurisdiction in every congregation within themselves Independent, be not rather like Diotrephes than those godly Ministers that desire the government in common according to God's holy word, I leave it to the judgment of the learned to consider; and whether or no Mr Knollys doth not palpably contradict himself in all this his discourse: for he acknowledgeth that Diotrephes had his particular congregation and opposed the Presbyters in it, and that he did evil in usurping authority over the church and those brethren he cast out: and yet notwithstanding he said it was more then he knew, or I could prove. Whether this therefore be not to contradict himself and to say and unsay and merely to trifle, I leave to the judgment of all intelligible men.
I conceive that all men that are but of ordinary capacity, when they shall well consider my argument and Mr Knollys his reply unto it, will say▪ that Diotrephes assumed that power to himself, which belonged to the College and council of Presbyters; for if he had not been a transgressor, and an offender against Saint John and the other Presbyters, the Apostle would never have said, Wherefore if I come▪ I will remember his deeds which he doth, prating against us with malicious words, &c. so that by us there, must necessarily be understood, Saint John himself and the other Presbyters; for he includes himself in the number of those that Diotrephes prated against and opposed. Now Saint John was an Elder, for so he calleth himself, and Mr Knollys acknowledgeth it, and confesseth also that there were many more Elders in that Church, and against all those did Diotrephes prate with malicious words in opposition to their authority, which Mr Knollys doth not gain-say, yea he affirmrth it, that Diotrephes would lord it over the Church, and have the preeminency above his brethren, whether fellow-Elders or fellow-Saints, he would be Primate, saith he, and Metropolitan of the Church, and have the preeminency of all the Presbyters in it, and Brethren of it. Doth it not then sufficiently appear from Mr Knollys his own words, that Diotrephes assumed that power to himself, that belonged to the College and council of Presbyters, and that he was the first that opposed the Presbyterian government, and that affronted the common-council of Presbyters? without speaking of malicious words against them, & lording it over the Church and taking in and casting out of members and ruling after an arbitrary way, and with a sole power and authority within himself in his congregation, and violating that order of government God had established in that Church, be not in Mr Knollys▪ and those of his parties judgment, to assume that authority to himself that belonged unto the council of Presbyters, and openly to oppose the Presbyterian government, and to affront all the Presbyters which were ridiculous in any man to affirm? I am confident all intelligible Christians will say, there was never any opposition of any court or council of Presbyters, if this were not; and yet Mr Knollys saith it is more then he knoweth or I can prove, that Diotrephes assumed that power to himself that belonged unto the College of Presbyters, or that he opposed the Presbyterian government, and yet acknowledgeth the thing in formal words; whether therefore he doth not again and again contradict himself and confirm my argument and fight against his own opinion, I leave it to the judgment of the learned.
I shall also desire the reader seriously to consider with himself, whether these words of Saint John, Wherefore if I come, saith he, I will remember his deeds which he doth, prating against us with malicious words, do not necessarily infer, that there was a Court and common-council of Presbyters in that Church to appeal, unto in Saint John's time? For to what purpose otherwise should St. John have said, If I come, I will remember his deeds, if there had been no power and authority in that Church to have called Diotrephes to an accompt and to have punished and censured him? But, saith Mr Knollys; If Diotrephes had affronted the Court and common-council of Presbyters, why was he not convented before them? Surely the Apostle and Elder Saint John, would rather have writ to the College of Presbyters (if there had been any such) than to the Church, and would rather have sent him a summons to appear at some Consistory, and would have writ thus, Diotrephes loves to be a Primate among you; wherefore when the Presbytery come to keep order and to meet together in a council, I will remember his deeds and inform against him that he pra • e • against us with malicious words; but the Apostle did not know of any such Court or council of Presbyters to appeal unto. Thus Mr Knollys triflingly cavilleth: As if Saint John and the Presbyters had been all ignorant of their duty, and as if in writing unto the Church, Saint John did not in that write to the Presbyters in it also, as well as Christ writing unto the seven Churches and in sending unto them did not also write unto the Angels and Presbyters in them, when we learn from all those Epistles and from the holy Scripture that the government of all those seven churches, as of all the Apostolical churches through the world, lay only on the Presbyters shoulders, which Mr Knollys also assenteth unto, saying page 11. That it is not denied by the brethren, that the Presbyters in all Churches, were the men in the government of the Churches in which they were Elders. So that it cannot be denied but in his writing to the Church, he writ unto the Presbyters principally who were the Officers in it and the chief members of it, and knew very well that there was a Court of Presbyters in that Church, who would in convenient time have called Diotrephes to an accompt, though Saint John had never come thither; but he signifying that when he came he would remember his deeds, made them retard their proceeding against him, for a time, that he being a fellow-Presbyter with them (as Peter was, with those Presbyters he writs unto 1 Epistle Pet. chap. 5.) might have the hearing of the cause amongst the other Presbyters; all which sufficiently confirmeth that Saint John did acknowledge a common council of presbyters in that Church to appeal unto. And therefore all Master Knollys his whibling questions are vain and merely to delude the people: for what man is there so stupid or so inexperienced in matters of government, or but understands the practice of our times in every corporation, or Committee, through the Kingdom, that knows not if any Alderman of any Corporation, or any Commissioner of any Committee should affect a particular domination to himself over his fellow-Aldermen or Commissioners, or over the people that were under their charge, whenas they are by their charters and Commissions, to govern their several corporations, Hundreds, Rapes, Ridings or Wapentaks by the common consent, and joint counsel and aggreement of them all, so that no order made without their combined authority or the joint consent of them all, or the major part of them, should be binding and of force, I say, who doth not know, that if any of those Aldermen or Commissioners contrary unto their Charter or Commission should not only assume unto himself a particular power of ruling and ordering things by himself, and of giving Laws unto others and in bringing in or putting out, either in the Corporation or Committee, whom they pleased; and should also use disgraceful words against their fellow-Aldermen or Commissioners, that any either Alderman or Commissioner doing any of these things, doth not oppose the Corporation & Committee with the commissioners in them, and by that offend against their government, and deserveth thereby severely to be punished? And who doth not likewise know, that if either any of the Aldermen or any of the Commissioners should understand of this their disorderly carriage, and should inform the Corporation or Committee of it by letters, and say, that when he came he would remember his deeds, by these his expressions doth not acknowledge likewise that there is both in the corporation and committee a standing court, in which there was power at all times for the punishing and censuring of any such offender? I am most assured that he will so conclude that there is a court there, and withal will say, that this or that commissioners information doth no way impeach or hinder the proceedings of that court, or minorise its power, but that it may go on to censure such as shall offend against their authority, if it can be proved by others, though that commissioner that informed against him should not be present. And even so it was in the Church Saint John writ unto, it had a court, and power within it self of proceeding against Diotrephes, and would have used it against him, whether S. John had come or no, although we may suppose that they did not proceed against him till Saint John came: yea, I shall make it good out of Mr Knollys his words that there was a court in that church. But by this, I say, it appeareth that Saint John knew very well that there was a court or council of Presbyters to appeal unto in his time, in that church, though Mr Knollys affirmeth the contrary, peremptorily asserting that S. John knew no such Court to appeal to, and that I cannot prove any such appeals. But it is ordinary with M. Knollys to confute the holy Scriptures, and to contradict himself as he doth both here and in all other of his answers, as in their due places we shall see. For what Christian ever with deliberation did read the Scripture, that can believe that St. John could be ignorant that there was a court and Presbytery in every church, when M. Knollys himself acknowledgeth it? Without doubt Saint John knew the government that was then established in all churches, as well as Mr Knollys. He could not be ignorant what government God had appointed & established in every church which was a Presbytery (as appeareth from all the places above quoted) which was a Court, to wit, a company of officers in every church armed with power & authority from God himself within their several Presbyteries to order, rule and govern the people under them, and to convent any offender before them and to proceed against him by censure and punishment: If the crime laid against him were sufficiently proved, and that the people under them were to yield obedience unto them in the Lord, such a power was every Presbytery invested with through all the Apostolical churches; and this Mr Knollys hath acknowledged in divers places in this his Pamphlet, & in this his very answer concerning Diotrephes, as we shall see by and by. And all this S. John could not be ignorant of, and that in the Church of Jerusalem, in which he was both a Pastor and a Member, that the Presbytery ruled there, and that all the people made their addresses (as well for the good of their souls, as for the better rectifying of abuses) to the Apostles and Presbyters of that Church, and appealed always unto them, and never applied themselves unto the people or the multitude, as we may see in these particulars: as,
First, when they were pricked in their hearts, they applied themselves unto the Apostles for direction, saying, men and brethren what shall we do? Acts 2. they went not to the church or people, but to the Apostles, knowing that the Ministers were their guides, and that they were to be directed by them, and that they were bound to obey them. And so in the fact of Ananias and Sapphira his wife, when they had purloined the goods of the Church; for whereas it was ordered and agreed upon by common consent that the price of those possessions that were sold should be laid down at the Apostles feet, and that distribution should be made unto every man according as he had need; contrary to this order Ananias kept back part of the price, Sapphira his wife also being privy to it: Hereupon the people appeal unto the Apostles in whose hands the government then lay, and who had power to censure and punish them, as they did for that their delinquency, as it is to be seen Acts the 5. they went not to the people and Church, but applied themselves to the Presbytery; and of this proceeding Saint John was not ignorant.
Again when the widows were neglected in the daily ministration, for the taking away of this abuse, they appealed unto the Apostles, as we may see in the sixth of the Acts (and not unto the Church or people) who ordered that business, and determined the controversy amongst them, to which the people assented. This also Saint John was not ignorant of: And he knew very well that the Presbytery in Jerusalem and all other Churches had power to send any of the Apostles or their other Ministers into any other place to preach, or upon any message, as we may see it Acts the 8▪ and Acts 14, & 15. For the Presbytery of Jerusalem sent Peter and John to the City of Samaria to preach amongst the people there, which they could not have done except the Presbitry had had power and authority in their hands over thē; we see also the same in the Church of Antioch, where they sent Paul and Barnabas and their ministers to the Presbitry at Jerusalem, & the Presbitry of Jerusalem they likewise sent their decrees by their Ministers through all Cities and Churches, which they could not have done, had they not had authority over the Ministers. Again S. John knew very well that the power of admitting of members lay not in the people's hands; for we read Acts the 9. When Paul came to Jerusalem and assayed to join himself to the Disciples, and that they being afraid of him, & believing not that he was a Disciple, St Paul appeals from them to the Presbytery of the Apostles in whose hands the government lay; and declaring unto them how matters were, they admitted him into fellowship with them, without the consent of the people & their good liking, for the government did not belong unto them. All these proceedings Saint John knew very well, and therefore could not be ignorant that there was a Court and Council to appeal to in all Churches: Yea Saint John knew also that the Presbytery of Jerusalem had power and authority over any of the Apostles, and did upon any occasion convent them before them as we may see in the 11. chap. and 21. where Peter was called before the Presbytery for going in to the Gentiles, and was therefore to give an accompt of his actions there, which he did; all with shows there was there a standing Court: and so in the 21. chapter the Presbytery gave Saint Paul an order and direction how to behave himself toward the weak ones; which he followed; all which shows that they only had the power in their hands, and that there was a court there, and that it belonged not to the people; all these things, I say, S. John was not ignorant of, & therefore knew very well that in that Church also where Diotrephes was a Presbyter, there was a Court and Common-council of Presbyters to appeal unto, or else he would never have said, If I come I will remember his deeds. But why should I spend time in proving that which to any understanding man is as evident a nd clear as almost any other truth in the holy Scripture? especially when Mr Knollys hath proved it himself in formal words in many places in this his answer; for he confesseth that there was a Presbytery established in every Church, and that the government of those Churches was put into the Presbyters hands, and that the people were to obey those Presbyters as their guides; and in express terms page the seventh saith, Therefore the Apostle writes to the Church or particular congregation whereof Diotrephes was a Member and an Elder, who he knew had power to judge him, as well as the Church or particular Congregation of Corinth had power to judge them that were Members therein, 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13. And therefore might as warrantably admonish Diotrephes, as the Church of Colossae might Archippus Coloss. 4. verse 17. in these words, He confesseth that Saint John knew that the Church whereof Diotrephes was a Member and Presbyter, had power to judge him; which doth necessarily infer that there was at that time a court there; for judgment and censure and inflicting of punishment is the act of a court or Magistracy and of those that are in authority and armed with power; besides for further illustration of his meaning, he saith that the church Saint John writ unto, had the same power over its Members that the church of Corinth had over its Members: Now all men that have read the first and second E • istle of Paul to the Corinthians, know very well that there was a court in the church of Corinth with plenary authority from Christ himself, both to convent and censure, and that with the severest punishment those that did publicly scandalize the Gospel, as is evident by the excommunication of the incestuous person; now if that church that St. John writ unto were equal in power to that of Corinth, and that of Colossae, and to all the other Apostolical churches, as Mr Knollys confesseth and laboreth to prove; then these conclusions will necessarily follow from his argumentations. The first, that Saint John could not be ignorant that there was a court and common-council of Presbyters in that church to appeal unto; for Mr Knollys saith, that Saint John knew that that Church had power to judge Diotrephes, and therefore in this contradicteth himself; for in the sixth page he affirmed that Saint John knew not any such court.
2ly, it follows that there was an Uniformity of government in all the Apostolical and Primitive churches: W ch wholly overthroweth the tenent of many of the Independents who hold the contrary; so that one church had not one manner of government, and another church another manner of government peculiar unto it self, and distinct from the other; but they were all governed alike by their several Presbyteryes, and had equal authority and power within their several precincts, as the church at Jerusalem, Ephesus, Corinth, in all which there were many congregations, and yet all of them made but each of them a particular church within their respective jurisdictions, and were all to be governed by the joint consent of there several Presbyteries.
And lastly, that this order of government was to be perpetuated to the end of the world, which when Saint Diotrephes labored to violate in assuming it to himself and his congregation, both he and all these that follow his steps, deserve severely to be punished for it, as prevaricators against both precept and example of all well ordered churches and Christians. And this shall suffice to have replied by way of answer to what Mr Knollys had to say for proof that Saint John knew not of any Court or Common-council of Presbyters, either classical or synodicall, to appeal unto in his time.
And now I come to make good those appeals I made mention of page 10. which Mr Knollys thinketh a thing impossible for me to do; to wit, That every particular man, as well as any assembly or congregation, may have their appeal to the Presbytery of their Precinct, Hundred or Division under whose jurisdiction they were; and if they find themselves wronged there, then they have appeals to some other higher Presbytery or Council of Divines for relief and justice.
These appeals Master Knollys saith I cannot make good to be according to the Scripture of truth, although the having recourse by appeals, from Inferiors to Superiors and from one Court to another, is so evident by the very light of nature, and approved of by the practice of all Nations and Churches in all ages, and is also so apparent by the holy Scriptures both of the old and new testament, as there is scarce any truth more obvious to all understanding men; yet Master Knollys peremptorily asserteth, that they cannot be made good out of the Scriptures of truth; so that it is manifest, to all men, that be there any truth never so perspicuous, he is resolved to believe nothing but what he conceiveth to be according to the Scripture of truth.
Therefore for the gratifying of Master Knollys, and all such as with candour and ingenuity and without any prejudice shall read the ensuing lines, I shall in this place add something more fully and distinctly to that which I spake in the foregoing page for the proof of those appeals I mentioned page 10. and sufficiently evince, they are warranted by the Word of truth: and for that purpose, I shall first produce the authority of holy Scriptures and bring forth some Presidents out of the unerring word for the confirmation of the same; and then I shall also ratify the use of appeals by reasons and from the practice of all ages in all Nations. And all this I shall the more willingly do in this place, although it is done again and again in this treatise; and only because Master Knollys affirmeth that I cannot make good that appeals be according to the Scripture of truth. And for proof ofthis, I will begin with that of our Savior Matth. 13 verse. 15. Wherefore (saith he) if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him of his fault between thee and him alone, &c. But if he hear thee not, appeal higher to two or three more: And if he shall neglect to hear them, appeal yet higher, tell it then unto the Church, that is to the Court of Presbyters in that precinct. So that from this place it is evident, that appeals are warranted by the Word of truth; for truth itself, hath taught us the Doctrine of appeals. And for Presidents of appeals there are many in the New-Testament, to say nothing of the Old. To begin with that in the 5. of the Acts which we find recorded after Christ's ascension in the questioning of Ananias and Sapphira, whereas by conjoynt argrement it was appointed and ordered amongst them, that all things should be common, and that selling their possessions, they should bring the price of them and lay it also at the Apostles feet; which very expression signifieth and denoteth what great authority and power the Apostles and Presbyters in the Church of Jerusalem were then in, and sufficiently declares that there was a Court there, as all the carriage of that business doth abundantly prove. I say therefore, when they had made such an order by common consent, and when it was found out that Ananias and Sapphira his wife had not dealt faithfully in that business, nor according to public agreement, but had consented together to deceive their brethren, and by that had scandalized the Gospel, the Church or people for the redressing of this abuse, take not the matter into their own hands, nor challenge not any power unto themselves for the punishing of Ananias and Sapphira, as well knowing their place then, and that the government did not belong unto them, but to the Elders and Rulers over them; they appeal therefore unto the Apostles and make their complaint unto them, and exhibit their Articles against Ananias and Sapphira, as both guilty of the same crime, whereupon they were convented before the Apostles as Delinquents; Peter then being there president and chief judge, and finding them guilty▪ sentenced them both, from God himself, and punished them for their sin with death; by which we may take notice not only of an appeal, but that there was a standing Court of Presbyters in Jerusalem and that they had in it plenary power from Christ for the trial and punishing of all offenders and of casting them out of the Church, if Scandalous, as well as the Church of Corinth; and it stands with all reason; for Jerusalem was the mother Church, and therefore was inferior to none of the Daughter-Churches and to this Court of Presbyters were all appeals ever to be made by the people of that precinct; as this one instance doth sufficiently declare. And that other president in the 6. of the Acts where we have a second appeal upon another public scandal, which was the neglect of their widows in the daily Ministration where they applied themselves unto the Apostles; for the particular congregations assumed not the authority into their hands of redressing the abuse, nor challenged not any right to the government, but appealed unto the Apostles for remedy, who ordered that whole business by joint consent, to which all the people willingly submitted themselves as it is at large to be seen in the sixth Chapter of the Acts. The third appeal we find Acts the ninth, where Paul assaying to join himself to the Disciples, and they being afraid of him, and doubting whether he were a believer, Saint Paul forth with appeals from them to the Apostles, who he knew had the authority in their hands, and making known his cause unto them, they forthwith admitted him into Church-fellow-ship with them without the consent of the people, who indeed had nothing to do, either in the admitting of members of casting of them out; and therefore they allowed of the appeal of Saint Paul, to teach all men whether to fly, to wit the to Presbytery, if they be injured by the people or debard from any Church-privilege by them, for they only are the stewards of the Church and have the Keys of the kingdom of heaven to open and shut the doors to whom they shall think fit, or unworthy; and this is the place of the Presbyters, and not of the people: for they are enjoined to obey their guides and to submit themselves in the Lord to what they order and appoint according to the Word of God. Here we have three presidents of appeals in the mother-church of Jerusalem to the Presbytery upon any abuse, so that by the mouth of their witnesses out of the word of truth this truth of appeals is sufficiently confirmed; And that the Presbytery at Jerusalem had plenary power over the very Apostles and could call them at any time to an accompt, is manifest from the eleventh of the Acts where Peter was convented & questionedbefore them and was forced to give an accompt of his going in to the Gentiles and Preaching unto them, which he willingly y • elded unto, knowing it was their place to question any; yea the Presbytery in every Church could send the very Apostles & Ministers to Preach in any place or city or upon any Message, as we see they sent Peter and John to Samaria, and the Church of Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas with other Ministers to the Presbytery of Jerusalem, as is evident Acts the 14. and Acts 15. and therefore all these examples sufficiently prove that all the people of every Church made their appeals to their several Presbyteries, if there arose any controversies and abuses among themselves: and if there arose any difference between Church, and Church, or between Presbytery and Presbyterie about any points of Doctrine or Religion, then they made their appeals for the determining of those controversies to Councils and Synods, as we may see it Acts the 15. and this is one of God's Ordinances as the Independents themselves do acknowledge. So that for the Doctrine of appeals it is so clear that all the learned and judicious cannot doubt of it; and I am most assured that those that shall but with due deliberation seriously examine the Scriptures above quoted and those that follow in this discourse, for the confirmation of the same truth, will wonder that any man that pretends to learning as Master Knollys doth, should ever dare say, that appeals cannot be made good to be according to the Scripture of truth, whereas there is almost no truth in the holy Scripture more clear and evident than this of appeals.
Yea this method of dealing and manner of handling of businesses of public offenses and scandals, and for the redressing of them, is ratified by the very light and Law of nature, as we may read in all the governments under the very Heathens, and Paul made use of it, by appealing from inferior Courts to Caesar's tribunal. And I shall never be brought by all the art and wit of man to believe, that Christ hath left his Church under the New Testament in a worse condition then it was under the old, where we know they had appeals from one Court to another. Nay if Christians now, had not the liberty of appeals in matters of conscience and Religion, they should be inferior to the Pagan nations; and surely Christ hath not left his Church which is his Kingdom, in a worse condition then either the Jewish or Ethnic Kingdoms were, and therefore by all reason besides the Testimony of Christ Matth. the 13. and besides the Presidents I produced out of the Word of God to confirm appeals, the lawfulness of appeals is sufficiently established and ratified. So that I hope that which I have now briefly set down, may satisfy any rational man. But before I go on to prove that the people or Church have not power to judge their Ministers, which is the last thing I undertake to make good. I must say something by way of answer to a vain and frivolous cavil of Master Knollys, which is this. If the Doctor can prove these appeals, (saith he) I ask him whether that higher Presbytery or Council of Divines, be not as Independent as the brethren and their Churches against whom the Doctor hath written: and if so, then such a high Presbytery or Council of Divines, is not God's Ordinance by the Doctors own confession and affirmation. The very reading of this fond cavil had been enough for the confutation of it to any solid man: and truly had not I to deal with such a trifling creature as he is in serious business, who compts every word he scribleth an oracle, I would have passed by it with silence, as being nothing to the question between us, and as little to his purpose as all his other wrangling is, except it be to declare to all men, that he knoweth not his own principles nor no good learning. But for answer, all such as know anything in the controversy between us and the Independents, know that it is my opinion and settled belief, that all Churches and Councils are to depend upon the Word of God, and to be ruled and ordered in all their proceedings and Governments according to the direction of the same: an Angel from Heaven is not be heard that speaks not according to the written Word Gal. 1. and this Word hath directed us to the law and to the testimony, Isaiah 8. and proclaimed all men that speak not according to that, to be in darkness; and therefore according to this my opinion, no Church or Council in the world is Independent; and therefore all such Churches and Councils as have not either precept or example for their proceedings in the ordering and governing of them, out of the Word of God, but follow their own vain and idle phantasies and affect Independency, in my opinion they in so ordering their Churches do not according to God's Ordinances. Now when the Independent Governments are such, they are their own inventions; and that government only of the Presbyters, is God's Ordinance, as having both precept and Presidents for it in God's Word, upon which they depend; and this is my opinion, and not that which Master Knollys would grollishly put upon me; and this shall suffice for answer to that piece of non-sense of his. And now I come to the last branch of his answer, and that which I undertook to make Good and prove, viz. that the people and congregation in any Church have not power to judge their Ministers, which Master Knollys affirmeth they have, and for instance produceth the Church of Corinth and that of Colossae, understanding by Church the people, who he saith had power over the members, miserably mistaking himself and abusing the ignorant and simple souls by it, as will by and by appear to those that can discern things that differ or are but a little acquainted in matters of government, either Ecclesiastical or civil. For if men do once but rightly understand what a Church is according to the description of a Church as it is laid down in the New-Testament, and consider withal of the parts and members of that Church which by Saint Paul is compared to the body of a man: they will easily perceive, that the governors and rulers are compared unto the head and all the noble parts of the body, as to the eyes, ears hands &c. which are to guide and govern all the other members in the body, and that all the other members under them are to be ordered and ruled by the head and other more noble parts, and are to follow their direction; so that it is in the Church of God, as it is in the body of man, some are to rule, and others to be ruled in it and whose place it is ever to obey: For none of the members of the body leave their stations, unless they by violence be cut off, as all rational creatures do very well know. For the head is ever the head, the eye is ever the eye, the ear is ever the ear, and the hand is ever the hand, &c. For Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 12. verse. 27. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondly Prophets, thirdly Teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps in Government, diversities of tongues; are all Apostles? are all Prophets? are all Teachers? &c intimating that the Apostles, and Prophets and Teachers, and helps in Government in the Church, every of them keeps their stations, to wit, they that are once Apostles, Teachers or Governors, do continue in the Church in their several places, ever so to be, and never lose their places, but always to the day of their death, remain and continue still to be Apostles, Prophets, Teachers and Rulers, according to that in the fourth of the Ephesians verse. 11. Where Saint Paul saith▪ He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints, and for the work of the Ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ, till we come all into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We find not in all the holy Scripture that any of those true Ministers were at any time degraded, or lost anything either of their Titles or of their authority, but as God had put the rule and Government of the Church into their hands, and had given them the power of the Keys, and made them Stewards in the Church which is his body, so they were ever to be the head, eyes, ears and hands for the governing and well ordering of the Church. We find likewise that in every several Church of the New-Testament there was a Presbytery ordained, as Acts the 14. &c. and that the Presbyters had the Government of those several Churches put into their hands, that the people and members of those Churches were commanded to obey their Presbyters as their guides whom God had set over them, Heb. 13. as Master Knollys and all the learnedst of the Independents do acknowledge. We find likewise by the practice of the Church of Jerusalem the President of all other Churches, that the people there for the redressing of any abuse amongst themselves, assumed not the power into their own hands, but applied themselves and made their addresses and appeals to the Presbytery, and that they ordered everything according as they thought good, and that the people willingly submitted themselves to the order. We find further that for all acts of government, as questioning any offendo • s for the censuring and punishing of them, for ordination of Officers, and excommunication, it was done either by the sole power and authority of the Apostles, or by the Presbyteries of the Church and those that were in office, and not by the multitude, as is manifest by that in the 2. of the Cor. chap. 2. ver. 6. a place so much abused by the Independents; sufficient (saith the Apostle) to such a man is the censure which was inflicted of many. So that it was not inflicted by all the people, but by such only in whose hands the power lay, which was the Presbytery, and therefore the Apostle saith by many or of many. And truly if we would but duly read the Epistles of Saint Paul to Timothy and Titus which were writ to them, and in them to all the Ministers of the New-testament in all ages to come, and observe the rules set down in them, which are to continue to the ende of the World, we shall find that for all Acts of government and for the well ordering of the Church, it is only committed into the hands of the Ministers and presbyters of the several Churches through all Nations, and that to them only belonged the managing of the Goverment, as the rulers and Stewards of the same▪ and that all power and authority of Government peculiarly belonged unto them, and that the people had nothing to do with it but to obey. Again if we look but into the seven Churches of Asia, Revel. 2. & 2. We shall find that all the Epistles Christ writes unto them are directed to the Angels and Ministers of those several Churches, as upon whom the Government of those Churches lay, and who had both the praise of well doing and blame of any evil either committed or tolerated by them; for seeing they were appointed by Christ himself to be the Stewards and Guides of those Churches and to be the Governors of the same, all the blame of the malversation of any of the members in them, is imputed unto them, as if they themselves had been the cause of it, as not using their Authority for the redressing of those abuses. So that it is apparently evident through the whole New Testament, That the Ministers and Presbyters, and they only, in every Church had the rule of the people committed unto them, as the head, eyes, ears, and hands, the more noble members; and that the people as the other members under them, were to yield obedience unto them in the Lord. And we find that in the holy Scripture, every man is to look unto that Office that is committed unto him, and that everyone is to keep himself in that Station God hath placed him in, as we may see it at large, Rom. 12. ver. 6. Having gifts differing according to the grace given unto us, saith Saint Paul, whether prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith, or ministry, let us wait on our ministry &c. He that ruleth, with diligence &c. Here we find that every man according to his place and office, he is enjoined to wait upon it and not to desert it; they that are appointed to rule, they are ever to rule; and the others that are under them, are ever to obey; every Member is to keep his station in this mystical body; the Magistrates and Parents and Masters whether ecclesiastical or civil, are to continue in their several places and to keep their ranks as long as they are in those places; and all those that are under them, whether Subjects, children, or servants, they are likewise to keep their places, and to obey all those that are over them in the Lord; and that is their place; for so the holy Scripture everywhere teacheth us, and especially in the 7. of the 1 of the Corinth. ver. 19, 20, 21, 22. Circumcision (saith the Apostle) is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God; That is, the yielding of obedience to the commandments of God, and the obeying of those God hath set over us, and the honoring of those that are in authority and doing the will of God in everything to our power, is that that commends any men unto God, especially the honoring of God himself and the reverencing of our godly Ministers and painful Pastors, according to that of Saint Paul 1 Thess. 5. 12. Know them which are over you in the Lord, and esteem them very highly in love for their works sake: For God hath made them Pastors, and all the people their flock; them fathers, and the people children begotten by their Ministry; them builders, and the people the stones laid by them in the building; them Stewards, and the people Domestiques under them and their conduct: So that everyone in the Church of God is to continue in that Station God hath placed them in, until they by their gifts and graces and eminent abilities be removed to a higher calling, or else for their misdemeanors are cast out; and therefore Saint Paul saith, 1 Cor. 7. ver. 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called; and as if it had not been sufficient to have once specified his mind in this business, in the 24 verse, he reiterateth this precept saying, Brethren, let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God. So that for the Ministers and Presbyters of the Church, or for the Magistrates of the Common-wealth, or for Masters or Parents of Families, for either of them, I say, to leave their calling in their particular places of ruling: and for either the flocks under the Pastors, or subjects under the Magistrates, or servants and children in the several Families under their Parents and Masters, to offer to take the Government into their own hands, or to join themselves in Commission with them, and to take the rule in either Church, State, or Families upon them, is to leave their callings, and so to transgress against the commandments of God who, hath enjoined the Magistrates, Ministers and Pastors both in Church and State to command, and all the people under them to obey, and in their so doing they each of them abide in the same calling and station wherein they are called: otherwise, they will be found transgressors of the Laws of God and Violaters of that Order God hath appointed in Church and State, and bring confusion in both; Now, God is the God of Order, and hath enjoined all men to keep his commandments, and the commandment given to the Magistrates, is to rule; and the commandment given to the people in every Church is to obey their guides and yield double honor unto them; the honor of reverence and subjection, and the honor of maintenance; they are ever bound to obey them in the Lord: And this is the Order God appointed in all the Primitive Churches, That the Presbyters only should rule in them, and that the people should obey and not intermeddle in the government; for that is not to keep themselves in their several Stations, and to abide in the same calling wherein they were called.
And to speak the truth, the ignorance of this doctrine and the pride of too too many hath been the only cause of all those confusions that now the Church and State are embroiled with; for if every man had learned but this lesson, To keep himself in the same calling wherein he was called, he would know that the Magistrates place whether civil or ecclersiasticall, is to command, and that the subjects and people's place under them in their several aboads and habitations, is to obey.
They would understand likewise, that in every kingdom, commonwelth, corporation, or in any Province and Country or church, that howsoever business of public concernment belongs unto the whole body in each of those governments, yet the managing of them and ruling and ordering of them respectively, belongeth and pertaineth only to those in authority, as in a kingdom or Republic, howsoever the embasladours of other nations are sent into such a Kingdom and Common-wealth about business that may concern the whole Country, yet none but the King and his Council or the State have the ordering and managing of the business, and the people and subjects under them intermeddle not in those high affairs, for they are Arcana Regni and appertain not unto them. And so it is in every Corporation, howsoever the Letters or Mandates from either King, Parliament or State, are directed unto the several Counties, Hundreds or Corporations or Cities, yet the Lieutenants, Governors, Sherifes, Mayors, Aldermen and Common-councils in each of them are to manage the business and to put in execution what they are commanded and enjoined by either Letters or Mandates, and the people under them severally are to yield obedience to what they order and command according to the several exigencies of the times, as daily experience teacheth all men; so that the directing of their Letters to the several Counties or Hundreds or Corporations in general, doth not invest all the people with power or join them in commission with the Magistrates of those respective places, but leaveth the transacting of all things to those only in those several jurisdictions that are in authority and armed with power, which the people are not. Yea this truth is so well known and perceived by all such as will not willfully blind themselves, as it cannot be denied; hourly experience furnishing men with Presidents of it.
For if any Delinquents be found out, they are not hailed before the people, but before such as are in authority; there is not an ordinary Hew and Cry that is sent to any Parish, but it is carried to the Constable or his Deputy and to such in that Town or Village as are in place or authority, so that the people trouble not themselves with it; yea they will ordinarily say it concerneth them not, it is not their place to intermeddle in the business of State, that they affirm belongs to those that are in authority. And as it is in the affairs secular and in the State, so it is in the affairs of the Church, those in authority in the Church are to manage the affairs and businesses of the Church and not the people: for God had appointed in all Churches in the New Testament (which were but so many Corporations) a standing Presbytery, and Order of Ministers and Rulers in each of them, in whose hands the government of them all, within their several Precincts and Jurisdictions lay, the which Government they were ever to manage and order by common consent and joint agreement, with which the people had nothing to do, and with the which they ought not intermeddle; for that had been to confound that Order God had established in each Church; and this all well-instructed Christians knew; and therefore in the Apostles times, not any that I ever read of opposed that Government before Diotrephes, who is blamed for this his temerity by St. John, to teach all men not to do the like left they fall into the same condemnation; so that they knew very well that howsoever all the Epistles of Sant Paul and the other Apostles were directed to the several Churches of their times, yet the managing of the affairs of those Churches belonged only unto the Presbyters Stewards and Angels of those respective Churches, as we may see in those seven Churches of Asia, where the Letters and the Epistles are directed to the Angels and Ministers of those Churches as those that had the Government of them in their hands, and not to the people: And so it was in the Church of Corinth, a place that the Independents so much abuse.
Howsoever Paul's Epistles were directed to the whole Church, yet the officers only and Presbyters of that Church had the managing of the whole business concerning the incestuous person, both for the casting of him out and the taking of him in again, upon his repentance, as is evident from the 2 Epistle and the second chapter where the Apostle saith sufficient to such a man is the punishment inflicted of many. So that all the people did not censure him, or inflict that punishment upon him; but many, to wit the Presbyters and those in authority in that Church. And this agreeable to all reason: and therefore Master Knollys is mightily mistaken in his Commentary exposition of this place and that of the Epistle to the Colossians, in saying that as the Church or particular congregation of Corinth had power to judge them that were members therein. 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13. and as the Church of Colossae had power to admonish Archippus. Coloss. 4. 17. so the Church whereof Diotrephes was a member, might as warrantably admonish him. These are his words, in which there is a double yea a treble fallacy: for first he taketh the word Church in another sense then the Scripture speaketh of it; which in all the Epistles of the holy Apostles for the most part, is taken collectively for a combination of many congregations under one Presbyterie within such a precinct, and he only understandeth it for a particular congregation and assembly, and by this he deceiveth the reader. 2ly By Church he understandeth the people, the Presbyters excluded, and saith that they had power to judge their Ministers, whereas indeed though in all those churches there was a power, yet it lay soely in the Presbyters hands, and they only were invested with it, and the people were ever to stand to their orders, so long as they commanded in the Lord; and the place of the people was to obey; and therefore all that he saith about this business is a mere non sequitur • unc; and this is the third error that ensueth from groundless principles; for this is not a good consequence, Paul writing unto the Church of Colossae hath these words, say unto Archippus that he take heed to his Ministry, and writing unto the Church of Corinth the 1. and 5. saith verse. 5. Deliver such a man unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh &c. Ergo the people have the power in their hands over all the members of those Churches both Ministers and people. This I assert doth not follow in all good reason; No more then it will follow that if any Embassador should be directed to the kingdom of England now, or if any Message should be sent unto any corporation of the Kingdom commanding such service from it to the State, that the people in this Kingdom, or the people in those corporations should intermeddle in the affairs of public concernment, but all sound understanding men will say, It belongeth to the great and grave Council of the Kingdom to manage public affairs, and to the Major and Aldermen, and the Common-council of each Corporation to transact and order the public business, and affairs, and for this only reason, because they are the men in those several places that God and the people have invested with authority over them and it only belongeth unto them to order all affairs of public concernment, who God and the people have called and appointed to this end and purpose. And so it was in all the primitive and Apostolical Churches, the Epistles were writ to the churches, but directed to the Angels and Ministers in them, as whose place it was to watch over them for their good and who only had the power of the Keys, to bind and loose, to cast out and take in, according to Divine authority. Yea all the world knows, that God never gave the Keys to the people in any Church, but to the Ministers, therefore the authority of order and jurisdiction only belongeth to the Ministers and presbyters in every Church: now when Master Knollys by Church understandeth a particular congregation or assembly and the people in it and not the Presbyteries in every Church; he is much mistaken in his Commentary exposition and abuseth not only himself but all those poor deluded people that follow him.
Yea, he destroyeth his own principles and those of the congregational way, for both he himself and I. S. do acknowledge, That the Government lay in the Presbyters hands in every church. Master Knollys his words to this purpose I have often ci • ed before and I. S. his words are these page 11. in asserting that the Persbyters did rule the Church at Jerusalem, and ordinarily other Churches, whom do you hit? (saith he in his answer to me) Sure not the Independents, as you call them, we grant it is their part to rule; thus he: but of these words in their due place.
In the mean time, we may take notice, that they acknowledge that the government of those several Churches lay in the Presbyters hands, who only had the ordering of the affairs of those Churches as the Stewards over them, and whose place it was, to receive any accusations, and examine matters of scandal and to proceed against offenders by cens • res and punishments upon evidence and proof made against them, as the Epistles of Paul to Timothy and Titus do sufficiently evince. And therefore it is not only against the Word of God, but their own principles, to invest the people with power and authority over their Ministers and their fellow members, as to censure them, or▪ to exercise any Act of Government over them. Neither doth Saint Paul in writing unto the Colossians and bidding them say to Archippus, that he take heed to his ministry, and in writing unto the Corinthians that they should cast out the incestuous person, investe the people in either of those Churches with power and authority over either Presbyters or their fellow members. For the power of reproof and censure with authority belongs primarily and principally to the Pastors and Presbyters, in every Church, as the Epistles of Paul to Timothy and Titus show, in the which all Ministers are taught their duty in their several places, who to admonish, and how, who to ordain, and who to cast out, and how to exercise all other Acts of government, as those of ordination, excommunication and censure &c. and all Ministers are to perform their offices judicially, & authoritatively, not by way of charity which any Christian upon just occasion observing all the vital circumstances, of a well ordered reproof and action, as of time place and persons may do; for there is a very great difference between the admonition of the Ministers and that of the people which lieth in this, that the Ministers do what they do in the Church as Officers and Magistrates and men in place and power; and the people do it by way of charity and love and only out of Christian duty, and not with any authority they have over the people; and if their brethren will not hear them, they can go no farther then to take one or two more with them, and if they will not hear them, then to refer it unto the Church, to tell and inform their several Presbyteri • s of it, the people are confined within these limets only, and are not to exceed and go out of these bounds. Whereas the Pr • sbyters and Ministers by their place have the power in their hands, to order them and censure them, which the people have not. Neither with any good reason will it follow, if any private Christian may admonish a Minister failing in his duty, that he hath power and authority over him, for this one Member and Brother hath not over another, as having nothing to do with another man's servant, as Saint Paul sufficiently declareth in the fourteenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans; and although all Christians are commanded, Coloss. the 3. and in divers other places, to admonish one another, yet this proves not that they have rule, power and authority over them, because the Scripture witnesseth the contrary. But the Ministers and Preachers of the Word, they are to rebuke, to exhort, and admonish, and censure, as Ambassadors, Stewards, and Governors appointed by God himself over them for this very purpose and end, not only to beseech and entreat them, but if they be refractory and disorderly to punish and censure them, and that by their place as they are officers and as they have received the Keys, whereas other Christians do their duty only out of love as Brethren and not as Magistrates; So that what the people do, either in admonishing or exhorting it is out of charity; or what they do in choosing of officers, or casting out of offenders out of the Church, it is either by denomination of them, or in approving and assenting unto what the Presbytery doth; as the Saints shall judge the earth so that it is not in the people's power to hinder the casting out of any offender, if he be proved scandalous; or of receiving any into the Church or into any office of the same, if they be thought fit and worthy of it for their gifts and graces; for they have no power to do any of these things, for these are all actions of such as are in authority and have the power of ordering things in their hands, which I affirm was never given to the people.
And therefore those places quoted by Mr Knollys, to prove the authority of the people over either their Ministers or Fellow-members, are not for his purpose, as b • ing misapplied and abused, as they are daily by the Independent Brethren; So that to all rational and understanding men from this reproof of Diotrephes given by S. John and this his censuring of him, For usurping sole authority to himself and prating malicious words against Saint John and the Presbyters of that Church he writeth to: These two conclusions do necessarily follow.
The first; That all such as affect an absolute jurisdiction in every particular congregation within it self Independent, without any reference or relation to a Council or College of Presbyters, and do speak malicious words against their Fellow-ministers and Presbyters, and do cast out whom they please, and bring in whom they will at pleasure upon their own terms, and do rule after an arbitrary way all such violate the Ordinance of God and oppose that Government that he hath established in all churches by his blessed word, and are guilty of the same crime that Diotrephes was, and if they repent not will be severely punished for it: but all the Brethren of the Congregational way are such.
The second is this: That all such Ministers and Congregations as give the authority and power of ruling and ordering the affairs of the Church into the hands of the people, either wholly excluding the Ministers, or joining the people with them in the Government of the Church, they thus leaving their station and calling wherein they were called, are prevaricators and offenders against divine institution: For God hath given the keys, the power of order and jurisdiction to the Ministers and Presbyters only, and enjoined the people to obey them: But such are all the Ministers and Assemblies of the congregational way, as leaving their station and calling wherein they were called: Ergo, they are all prevaricators and offenders against divine institution.
And thus much I thought fit by way of answer, to reply unto all that Mr Knollys had to say, against my argument drawn from Diotrephes, and in defense of their congregational practices▪ There yet remains one whibling cavil more in this his answer, that I may not pass by lest he should glory I could not answer it; I will therefore say something to that and conclude this point and then go on to all his other fond answers to such arguments as he thought himself best able to encounter with. His words are these in the conclusion of his Babble.
If (saith he) nothing of public concernment ought to be done and transacted without the joint & mutual agreement, and common consent of the Presbytery, John the Presbyter would not have transgressed so far, as to take upon himself this authority over Diotrephes, to tell the Church of his faults, and to say he would remember him and sharply reprove him, and teach him to prate against the Presbytery with malicious words, which belonged to the Court and Common-council of Presbyters.
Thus Mr Knollys rather chatters than disputes, in making such an inference from his own conceit. And therefore for Answer let Mr Knollys know, that there was no transgression in Saint John against the Presbyters in taking such authority upon himself: for S. John was an Apostle, and an universal Pastor, tied to no one place or flock, but had the same power and authority that Paul and all the other Apostles had over all the Churches, the care of which lay primarily and principally upon them, who were immediately inspired by God, and in all their preachings and writings followed the dictates of his holy Spirit, who spake in and by them; so that whatsoever they taught or writ was to be the rule of all men's thoughts, words, actions, and governments, and it was their place to give Laws unto all Churches and Ministers in them, what they should do in the ordering and governing of the same; and therefore S. John had no less authority and power over this Church, wherein Diotrephes was an Elder, and in and over all other Churches, then S. Paul and all the other Apostles had in all Churches: Now if S. Paul, could give a Law unto the Church of Corinth, For the casting out of the Incestuous person, and for the carrying of themselves with Order and Decency, in their Assemblies and sharply reprove offenders in that Church, and if all the other Apostles did the like, and took such Authority upon them over all the members of those several Churches; and that without any transgression of any divine institution, but with the very good liking and allowance of God himself, who writ the Commandments of the Lord to all the Churches, then I say, Saint John transgressed not at all in using his authority and power given him of God over Diotrephes, in telling the Church of his faults, and saying He would remember him, and sharply reprove him; for this he might well do by his sole Authority, without any offense, as he was an Apostle, for what he did, he did by immediate Revelation and had a warrant for it from Christ himself, who sent his spirit to lead him into all truth.
And therefore it is a ridiculous if not an impious thing in Master Knollys, to draw such an inference from a fantasy of his own brain, in that he makes no difference between Saint John and another ordinary Presbyter and Minister, and would make that an offense which was none, and infer that Saint John took more upon him than he ought. Besides it had been no transgression in any other Presbyter, if he had writ so to any Presbytery, under which he had been a fellow Presbyter, to inform them of any miscarriage in either Pastor or member of that Church wherein he was an Elder, and if he had said, If I come I will remember his deeds, &c. For in his so speaking, he would assume no more authority to himself, then became a Presbyter to take upon him, as both to witness to a truth, and to give in evidence of what he knew of such a man to his fellow judges, and then to leave it to the judgment of the Presbytery and Common Council of Elders, which Saint John did, whose place it was to censure such an offender, and in his so doing he should no way impeach the power and authority of the Court or Common▪council of Presbyters, but rather ratify and confirm it as all learned men will gather; For by such words, he declareth that there is a standing Court or Council there, where offenders are both to be questioned and censured; for such an expression, If I come I will remember his deeds, sufficiently declareth, that there was power in their hands, and manifesteth, that he was a judge there among the rest, who with others had the hearing of all causes there, and that all businesses of public concernment ought to be done and transacted by the mutual and joint accord and agreement of the Presbytery, and not to be managed by any one singly by himself, or by the people whom God had never given the Keys unto, nor the power of rule and Government: This I affirm will necessarily ensue and follow, and not that which Mr Knollys vainly intimateth. And I am confident that any judicious Christian upon due deliberation will say the same, and will conclude, That Saint John in his so writing was no offender, though all things of public concernment in the Church were ever to be transacted by the joint agreement and common consent of the Presbytery. So that all men that are judicious may plainly behold the futility in both the answers and cavils of this man, and well perceive that he was never cut out for a disputant, or ever fitted for Government in church or State; who if he might have his own mind would bring in a confusion in both, and violate all order divine and human, and make the head the foot, and the foot the head.
And truly if a man would but consider the manner of Government in their seven new Churches or rather seventy (for every ten or twelve of them prove a Church) he should find in them all, so much disorder and discrepancy amongst them, and yet everyone of them pretending Divine authority for its particular government, as he would advisedly conclude, That God was never the author of them, for God is a God of order and not of confusion: for never since the world began was there such practice • in any Christian Churches, as are to be found in theirs: And to speak the truth, they are a mere mockery of all government: for everyone of those several Churches be they never so slender and small, assumes an absolute soveranity unto themselves Independent, from all other Churches and Presbyteries, from the which there is no appeal, be one never so much wronged. And they are as so many free States, and republicks, everyone of them ruling within themselves as absolute Magistracies. And therefore upon all occasions, if any difference arise between member and member in those Churches, or between Church and Church as often they do, as other Countries and Commonweales send their Ambassadors to each other upon any difference, or about states affairs; and as the House of Commons sends to the House of Lord's, and the House of Lord's to the House of Commons by their Messengers; and as all businesses are to be done in the Name of the States, and in the name of either Lord's or Commons; so those little sucking congregations and churches; though they consist but of 10. or twenty a piece & although never an one of them knows anymore what belongs to government then the horse Master Knollys preaches on when he goeth into the Country yet they send their Officers in the name of the Church to any other of their Churches, upon any difference, or about any of their Grolleyes, with as great State and Grander, as if they were very absolute principalities, and they use by the report of those that have seen the manner of their carriage in their employment in imitation of greatness, the same garb and gestures that Ambassadors, or those that carry a Message from the House of Commons, to the House of Lord's, usually do; making their honors and conges, and they are such bunglers at the work as those that have seen them say, it is one of the ridiculosest spectacles that ever was beheld; for they make a thousand Jackinaps tricks and act their several parts with such affectation of State, that experienced men and such as well know what belongs to the entertainment of Ambassadors, affirm, that they never beheld anything so fanatical. It is reported that John Lilburne my Scholar is Master of the Ceremonies amongst them, and teaches them their postures of Court-ship.
If ever there were any people in the world that trampled all government both Divine and Humaine under their polluted feet, or ever made a scorn of authority I may truly say the Independents are the • en, and yet they applaud themselves in all their actions and stick not to say, by these their doings, they set up the Lord Christ upon his throne in his Kingdom, and in their houses, and compt all those that differ from them of their congregational way, as enemies of the Lord Jesus, and of his kingdom; and esteem of them as of a company of Infidels; and yet they have neither precept nor president for their so doing, but St. Diotrephes in all the holy Word of God, which constituted a Presbytery in every Church and committed the government of all the congregations under each Presbytery into the hands of a Common-council and College of Elders, as that Church Saint John write unto can witness, which was governed by the conjoynt consent of them all, in which Saint John was a Presbyter, and therefore writ, If he came he would remember Diotrephes deeds: which abundantly declareth that Saint John acknowledged a Court, a settled government in every church, whether the members might have recourse for redress of any abuse or scandals and therefore took no more upon him then belonged unto his place: and this shall suffice to have answered to Master Knollys his last whibbling cavil, and to have spake of this point of controversy between us in this place.
I shall answer methodically to all his other evasions in their due places which the reader shall find as they are scattered through the book, for he is very immethodicall in all his pamphlet, where I will set down Master Knollys his own words.
But in the mean time it is sufficiently confirmed out of the Word God and out of all the Scriptures above quoted, that all the churches we read of in the New-Testament, were so many corporations in Christ's kingdom, which were to be governed by a Common-council of Presbyteries. And so for many years after the Apostles times they were Governed Communi consilio presbyterorum, as our brethren the Independents do confess and prove by antiquity and human authority; which weapon I wonder they will contend with, in deciding of God's matters, which are only out of his holy Word to be proved, which is to be the rule of our faith.
But it seems Saint Ambrose his authority pleaseth them well, though if we look into it, it makes much against them. He lived as the author that cites him, saith, within the fourth Century. His words are these upon the 1. of Timothy. Synagoga & postea ecclesia seniores habuit, quorum sine consilio nihil agebatur in Ecclesia. Quod qua negligentia obsoleverit nescio, nisi doctorum desidia aut magis superbia, dum soli volunt aliquid videri. Take with it his own interpretation. The Jews Synagogue (saith he) and afterwards the Christian church, had Elders, without whose counsel nothing was done in the church, which, by what neglect it grew out of use, I knew not, unless it were perhaps the sloth or rather pride of the teachers, whilst alone they would seem to be somebody.