The Utter Routing of the Whole Army of All the Independents and Sectaries
Out of these several places, from the Commission of Christ given to his blessed Apostles, and to all Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel to the end of the World: here observe these things.
First, that their bounds and limits were set them, how far they should go in their teaching all Nations, and beyond which they might not pass; and they were these, that they should teach no other things but what Christ commanded them and appeared to them in, and for the which they had his Word and Warrant; and so long as they should do this, he promised them and all that should succeed them in the Ministry, to the end of the World to be with them.
We also further observe the condition in the executing of this their commission, they were to propound unto all Nations and people upon what condition they were to be admitted into the Church, and that was • aith & repentance; and they were to receive all such as believed and were baptized, and that upon the profession of their faith and repentance, without any further testimony of others, unless they had been formerly known to be open enemies and persecutors of the church, and then they were justly to be suspected, till they had given public evidence by witness to the Apostles and Ministers of their true conversion, as it happened to Paul, whom for a time the Disciples feared, Acts 9. 26, 27. till they had better information and proof that he now preached the faith that he had once persecuted, and had suffered for it, which is the only president we have in all the Acts of the Apostles of any that were refused to be admitted into the communion and fellowship of the Apostles, as I remember (for he was a Minister before) but all the other that came in were admitted upon their own offer, if they tendered themselves and embraced the Gospel, and were baptized, and that without any reluctance or s • ruple.
Now before I come to my third observation out of the commission given to the Apostles, I must wait here a little upon the motions of my brother Burtons pen which as it marches along, makes now and then some whibling incursions into my quarters; and therefore that all men may see my forces are ever in a readiness, and that I am always willing to fight him wheresoever I meet him, and that my brother Burton also may see how ready I am to gratify his desire, who Page 7. saith, Come on brother, let you and I try it out by the dint of this Sword. I will here skirmish a little with him to breath him, and then go after him; in the 15. Page of his book he puts me upon the reconciling of a contradiction which he conceives I made: For saith he, Page 101. of your book, you say, The Apostles and other Ministers of the Gospel were to receive all such as believed and were baptized, and that upon the pr ofession of their faith and repentance without any further testimony of others, unless they had been formerly known to be open enemies, and then they were justly to be suspected, till they had given public evidence by witness to the Apostles and Ministers of their true conversion as concerning Paul. Acts 9. 26, 27.
Now here (saith my brother Burton) I observe.
First, a notable contradiction to what you say Page 115. As God's command to all Ministers was that they should admit all such into the Church, as believed and were baptized upon their desiring it, without any confession either private or public. Here (saith my brother Burton) I leave you to reconcile your own contradiction, upon their profession and without any confession.
For Answer, I assert that my words are so far from a notable contradiction to any men that know what a contradiction is, that there is not at all so much as a very similitude of a contradiction in them: For what contradiction I pray is there in these expressions? The Ministers of the Gospel are to receive all such as believe and are baptized, and that upon the profession of their faith and repentance, &c.
God's command to all Ministers, is, that they shall admit all such into the Church as believe and are baptized upon their desiring it without any confession &c. Here as all the world may see is no contradiction. But if I had in those places expressed myself thus: viz. the Ministers of the Gospel are to admit none into the Church but upon their public confession of their faith.
And in the second place if I had said, God commands all Ministers to admit all such into the Church as believe and are baptized, without any confession of their faith. Then my brother Burton might have had a poor occasion of making observations; but if upon a conceit of so small a thing as a contradiction, he will call for the attention of the whole world, and cry out a notable contradiction! how would this man vapor if he could get some great advantage against me? without doubt he would cry Victoria Victoria. I do believe that Saint Cretensis would not more radomontadoe it over even to be honored Master Edwards then he would over me: But as I said before and as all the judicious will observe, there is no contradiction in those two expressions; for to describe one and the same thing in a various manner, is no contradiction, which as the learned know▪ consists in denying and affirming of one and the same thing, which the saying, upon their profession, and without any confession, does not; for profession is one thing, and confession is another, they are two distinct things; and therefore there was no denying and affirming of one and the same thing; and therefore no contradiction. But by such triflings as these are, my brother Burton, • . S. and Hanserdo Knollys, like those evil workers Saint Paul speaks of Phil. 3. 2. whom he commands all Christians to beware of, they squander away their precious time to delude and deceive the ignorant people, whereas they might better by far employ themselves if they were all now this hot weather in the Butchers shambles a killing of flies. And this shall serve in way of Answer to his first observation of a notable contradiction.
And now I come to his other observation in the same page, but to what it hath relation I know not▪ nor how he brings it in to be an answer nor what he intends by it: for the man is very rambling, but thus he speaketh there.
Secondly saith he, I answer, that in these days of professed and covenanted for Reformation, there is required the profession or confession of one special point of faith (which in words none dare, but in practice most do deny) touching Christ's Kingly office and his absolute sole sovereignty, &c.
Thus he there expatiates, but against whom or what he makes that answer I know not: For thus much I can say in the behalf of all the godly and learned Presbyterians there are no men upon the earth that more endeavor both in word and deed to profess and confess that special point of faith touching Christ's Kingly office and his absolute sovereignty (as by all their practices they declare) then they, as all their learned Sermons and Writings can witness: and on the other side concerning all the Illdependents and Sectaries I can truly say thus much, that never any people made a greater noise in words of advanceing Christ and setting him up naked upon his Throne (for so they speak) then they do, and yet never did any people more dishonor him or disthrone him then they, as in the foregoing discourse I have sufficiently proved. And therefore if this his second Answer concerns any, it belongs to the Independents, and it highly indeed concerns them all, to consider their erroneous ways and now at last to seek after the ways of Truth, Peace and Love, and not thus with their tongues and penns to set the whole world on fire and then to warm and heat themselves by the light of it, like those that danced about their calf, who did eat and drink and rose up to play. And this shall serve for answer to that.
And so now I go on to my third observation out of the Apostles Commission.
The third thing we may observe, is, that this commission was delivered only to the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel, and that it was their place only, who had the Keys delivered unto them to open and shut the doors of the Church, to admit such as they thought for their faith, knowledge and repentance were sufficiently qualified and fitted to be made Members; and to refuse such as they conceived not fit to be received into the fellowship of the Church, either for their ignorance or other sins and offenses, and to cast such out of the Church, as through their malversation declared themselves to be no believers: for the commission was only delivered unto the Apostles and Ministers, that they should admit whosoever believed and were baptized; and they that believed not and would not be baptized, were not to be admitted. This Commission I affirm, was only given to the Apostles and Ministers, and it was and is that office that peculiarly belongeth unto them.
And if we look into the method of God's dealing with his Church in all ages, under the Law and under the Gospel, both for the admitting of any into the Church as Members and Officers, or the casting out of any; and to all the practice of the Prophets and Priests of the Old Testament, or the practice of John the Baptist and the blessed Apostles in the time of the New Testament; we shall find, that they that were admitted into the society and fellowship of the Church, were by the Ministers only under both the Testaments received, and to them the people by God himself were sent, and they sent unto the people for this purpose.
And for proof of this I now say, I will first begin with the Old Testament, a few testimonies of the which may serve for the confirmation of that truth, as that of Malachi 2. ver. 4, 5, 6, 7. And ye shall know that I have sent this my commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levy, saith the Lord of hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace, and I gave them to him, for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my Name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips, he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity; for the Priests lips shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the Law at his mouth; for he is the Messenger or Angel of the Lord of hosts. A sufficient testimony to prove, that the Ministers only under the Old Testament had the power given them of admitting of any into the fellowship and communion of the Church, and that all the people were directed to them as the Messengers and Angels of the Lord of hosts, if they desired to be admitted into the Church. And so Jeremiah and Ezekiel, as we read in the first chapters of both their Prophesies, and the same may be said of all the Prophets, they were sent unto the people. The people were to be directed by them, and the Prophets and Priests only had that power delegated unto them, of proclaiming both mercies and judgments, and of receiving into the Church such as should come unto them. And under the New Testament, in the third of Matthew, we find Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the regions round about Jerusalem, going out to John the Baptist, and were baptized of him, and admitted into the Church by him alone, without the people; and the substance of his Preaching, with his manner of admitting of members into the Church, and the conditions upon which he received them, and what the people did before their admission, is all fully set down in the third of Luke, and the seventh. And for the sum of his Preaching, it is said, verse the third, That it was the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And for those that came unto him, as the common people, the Publicans and the Soldiers, they all ask John what they should do? And after he had instructed them severally their duties, and told them upon what conditions they might be admitted, it is said in the seventh of Luke Verse 29. That all the people that heard him, and the Publicans justified God, being baptized with the Baptism of John: But the Pharisees and the Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him, Verse 30. So that by Christ's own testimony (the Pharisees and Lawyers only excepted) all that came to him were baptized and admitted into the Church without the consent of the people. And so we find in the Gospel of Saint John, chap. 3. 4. yea, through the whole Book, That the people everywhere made their addresses to John the Baptist, and to Christ and his Apostles only; and that as many as came to Christ unfeignedly, were received by him, and his Apostles; and none upon the offer of themselves, if they accepted of the conditions and were baptized, were ever refused. And we find further, that when our Savior had at any time cleansed and cured the Lepers, he sent them to the Priests, for to be admitted by them into the communion of the Church, from which their noisome disease, as a type of sin, had for the time excluded them.
As for John the Baptist (saith my Brother Burton, Page 16.) (about whose gathering you have so bestirred yourself before, and to as little purpose.) You may observe, that those believers in Christ then to come, according to the Papists doctrine, were not formed into a Christian Church, or Churches, as after Christ's resurrection the believers were. And when you come to visit those Christian Churches once constituted in their Gospel form by the Apostles, you shall find, that the power of admitting, and rejecting or casting out of members, was not in the Apostles and Ministers alone, but in the Churches. For this, read 1 Cor. 5. where the whole Church of the Saints in Corinth, to whom Paul wrote, were to cast out the incestuous person; as also, afterward upon his repentance, to re-admit him, 2 Cor. 2. 6, 7. This one instance (saith my Brother Burton) is a sufficiens president for all Churches. Thus he.
And this is all he hath to say there, concerning John the Baptist▪ Now although I have formerly answered, and that in many places in the foregoing Treatise, to every several branch of this my Brother Burtons cavil; and although it be nothing to the enervating of my Argument, as all understanding men will well preceive, if they duly consider it; yet because I perceive by his whole discourse, the main design both of himself, and all those of his faction (that now trouble the world with their scribbling) is to deceive, and delude silly souls, that they may the better bring all the Presbyters into the hatred of the people, as men Antichristian, and more then Prelatical, and as affecting a more lordly power over the people, then ever the Bishops exercised over them; (for this is the language all their Pulpits and Pamphlets speak:) I say, in this regard, though I have often formerly fully answered to every branch of this cavil, I will here say something to it, for the better discovery of the vanity and triviality of the man: And that I may declare unto all men how little his asseverations are to be regarded.
But I desire the Reader to take notice of his grolleries (waving that slighting passage of his, where he saith, That I have so bestirred myself, and to so little purpose about John Baptists gathering, &c.)
And first, That he joins here with the Papists in unchristianing and unchurching all those that were baptized by the Baptist: And so in this point he is a Papist.
Secondly, That he makes the form of a Church, which he calls the Gospel form, to confist in excommunication.
Thirdly, Take notice of his peremptory assertion, and in it, of another notable error, where he saith, You shall find, that the power of admitting and rejecting of members, was not in the Apostles and Ministers alone, but in the Churches. And for proof of these his grolleries he quotes, 1 Cor. 5. and 2 Cor. 2. 6, 7. and makes the example of that Church to be bindingly presidential (to use I. S. his Rhetoric) to all Christian Churches: Whereas in his tenth page he tells me, We are necessarily to take all the Churches in the New Testament together, to make up one entire and perfect Church pattern. These are his words there; and yet here he makes the Church of Corinth to be a sufficient president for all Churches. So that everyone of their Instances must be a sufficient pattern to all other Churches; and yet when I produced the example of the Church of Jerusalem, the Mother Church, for a pattern of Government for all other Churches, he rejected it, affirming, that it was not a perfect pattern. And in that his expression also, we may take notice of a parcel of good Divinity, where he makes the Church of Corinth, a more perfect Church then that at Jerusalem; which not withstanding he says, was the first formed Church. Now if excommunication and discipline, as my Brother Burton says, be the Gospel form of a Church, and the Church of Jerusalem wanted that part of discipline, then it was not a formed Church; but so he speaketh of it in the tenth page, where I observe a notable contradiction (to usurp his one Language:) And here I leave him a while to reconcile it. But now to speak briefly by way of answer to these my Brother Burtons grolleries.
First, Whereas he joining with the Papists, unchristians and unchurches all those that were baptized by the Baptist, he is very erroneous in so doing, and dealeth most wickedly and unchristianly with all those glorious Saints; for they were as good Christians and believers; as he or any Independents in the world: As who all of them have Christ's own testimony for their true faith in him, and their unfeigned repentance towards God, which are sufficient characters ever to make any people good Christians; and of all them our Savior saith, Luke 7. 29, 30. That they justified God; and rejected not his counsel against themselves, as the Pharisees and the Lawyers did; that is; all those that were baptized by the Baptist • repented, and believed in Christ, and embraced the Promises; and therefore, by our Savior's own witness, they were all good Christians as any in the new gathered Churches. And therefore, my Brother Burton as a notorious Papist, and a calumniator, ought to be reproved, especially by the seven new Churches which hold, That all that were baptized by John the Baptist, were believers and good Christians. And this shall suffice to have spake to his first grollery.
His second is, That he makes excommunication the form of a Church, as we may see page the twentieth of his Book, where answering unto my Argument▪ by which I proved our Churches to be true Churches▪ viz. Because the saving Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached, received, and professed in our Churches. To the which Argument of mine, he there thus replies. If you (saith he) mean the whole truth of Christ, it is well. But do not you know (saith he) that there dre three special visible marks of a true visible Church, The Gospel purely Preached, the Sacraments duly administered, and Discipline rightly practiced? All which marks to gather the Church of England (for ought I know) is yet to seek. So that by these words of my Brother Burton, it is manifest, That in his opinion the Gospel-Form of a Church is to have Discipline rightly Practised. So that where Discipline is wanting, by his learning, there is no true Gospel formed Church.
But before I answer to this his grollery, I will say thus much to my Brother Burton, That Discipline rightly practiced, is not one of the special visible marks of a true visible Church; and that for these Reasons.
First, Because the Holy Ghost who better knew the essential marks of a true visible Church, then my Brother Burton, yet he in setting them all down, omitting that of Discipline, saith, Acts 2. 42. That they continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine, and Fellowship, and in breaking of Bread, and in Prayers: So that according to this unerring description of the essential marks of a true visible Church; Wheresoever the Gospel is truly Preached, and where the Sacraments are rightly administered, and where there is the true Invocation of God (which is the third essential mark in God's Dialect of a true visible Church) there, there is a true Church, although there be no Discipline; and therefore I gather, that Discipline though a most excellent Ordinance, and much to be desired, and had long since been obtained, had not the Ildependents hindered it, makes not for the esse but the been esse of a Church. And I will ever believe the Holy Ghost in this point, rather then my Brother Burton. And withal, I will live and die in this opinion, That the Church of England is a true Church (notwithstanding, whatsoever all the Sectaries can say to the contrary) because in the Church of England, the Gospel is truly Preached, and the Sacraments are rightly Administred, and the Name of God is truly called upon; all which, if they were sufficient to make the Church of Jerusalem a true formed Church, yea, and the first true formed Church, according to my Brother Burtons own learning, then they are sufficient to make the Church of England a true formed Church.
But a second Reason to prove that Discipline rightly practiced is not the form of a church, is from my Brother Burtons own words; for he everywhere saith, that the church of Jerusalem was a true formed church, and yet she wanted that part of Discipline, of casting out corrupt Members; so that Discipline there could not then be rightly practiced, if that church wanted that part of Discipline, and if it were not there at all as he saith; and therefore for that mark it does not make for the esse of a church, and for the bringing in of a Gospel form (as is said before:) and which is yet more, if excommunication be the Gospel form of a true visible church then all the Synagogues in Jerusalem, in Saint John the Baptists time were true formed churches after the Gospel form; for Synagogue and Church in the holy Scriptures are all one; and in all the Synagogues they had excommunication, as in many places it is evident; and for instance these, John 9. 22. For the Jews had argued already, that if any man did confess he was Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue; and in the fortieth verse, in terminis it is said, that they cast out the young man, and in the twelfth chapter, verse 35. it is said there, that amongst the chief Rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the Synagogue.
Many places more to the same purpose might be produced to prove that there was that part of discipline even in the Synagogues, and that in Johns time, how • oever it was abused, as excommunication daily is amongst all the Sectaries at this day; and if we duly weigh and consider all things, this part of discipline was taken from the Jewish Synagogues, and from them brought into all Christian Churches; so that if that part of discipline be the Gospel form of a true visible Church, or one of the essential marks of a true visible Church, as my Brother Burton saith, I shall not need to take a great journey from Jerusalem, and John Baptists Churches, as my Brother Burton would have me go to visit all the other Christian Churches, to find in them excommunication, that Gospel form of a Church. I will leave that journey to their Itinerary Independent Predicants, who have nothing else to do, and will content myself with the Christian Synagogues and Churches, amongst the which John the Baptist and Christ himself both conversed, preached, and performed all the offices of true Pastors; and in those Synagogues and Churches of Jerusalem, in all and everyone of them I find the Gospel truly preached, the Sacraments rightly administered, and the name of God rightly called upon; and all those essential marks made that Church a true formed Church after the New-Testament form, if the Scripture and my Brother Burton may be believed; and therefore I take notice of this as a special error in my Brother Burton, that he makes excommunication the Gospel form of a true Church, for which his tenent I believe he will find some moderate check or other from some of his brethren of the congregational way, who hold, that their particular explicit Covenant is the form of the Church; and this shall serve for answer to that second Grollery of my Brother Burton. His third Grollery is, that he saith, that the power of admitting, and casting out Members, was not in the Apostles and Ministers alone, but in the Churches, which is a notable error in my Brother Burton, and Contrary unto many places of the holy Scripture: for God gave the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel only the Keys, Matth. 16. & Matt. 18. and Matth. 28. and they that had the Keys, and were the Stewards of God's family, could only open and shut the doors to whom they pleased without the people: and we see that the Apostles only in the second of the Acts without the people, received into the Church those three thousand first Converts; yea, and received Paul into their Fellow-ship, contrary unto the Disciples and people's mind, Acts 9. and we know that Paul by his own power did excommunicate and deliver to Satan Hymenaeus, and Alexander, and others, 1 Tim. chap. 2. verse 1. and we learn in the second and third of the Revelation, that the Lord writing unto the Churches sends his Epistles to the Angels as the chief officers, and blames them for neglecting their duty, in not casting out those wicked ones that were amongst them: by all which testimonies, and many more that might be produced, it is sufficiently evident, that the Ministers only ought by themselves to manage the government of the Church, and that it is their peculiar office, and the place of the people to yield obedience to what they do: and even out of 2. Cor. 2. the same may be gathered where it is said, he was excommunicate by many not all. And therefore it is a marvelous great error in my brother Burton to conclude, because Paul writ to the church of Corinth for the casting out of the incestuous person, therefore the power and authority lay in the people's hands, and not in the Apostles and Ministers alone: But these are the unsound conclusions that those of the congregational way gather too too often from the holy Scripture for the ingratiating of themselves amongst the people, whom they pretend much to honor, in telling them, that they have a power and interest in the government, as well as the Ministers have, and that the Presbyterians challenge this to themselves joly, it is only to enslave the people, and to Lord it over them, and that worse then the Prelates; and for no other end I am most assured, did my Brother Burton bring in this cavil in opposition to my Argument: which not withstanding stands firm to prove that John the Baptist did by himself, and without the people execute his Commission, and receive Members into the Church, and that from his and the blessed Apostles examples, all other Ministers may take this example, and do the same, and that by God's own appointment, as we shall see more fully in the following Discourse; and this shall suffice to have spake to this cavil also of my Brother Burton, and all the Grolleries of the same concerning the Baptist, and his gathering of churches.
But now to go on, after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, and that the Apostles had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and at their first entering upon their Ministry, had preached unto the people, and that the people were pricked in their hearts when they heard them, it is said that the people addressed themselves only unto Peter, and the other Apostles, saying, Men and Brethren what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gifts of the holy Ghost, &c. Act. 2. 23, 24▪ then they that gladly received the word were baptized, and the same day were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Here we may observe these two things.
The first that the Apostles by themselves alone, without the multitude or church admitted the people into the society and company of believers.
Secondly, that in the execution of their commission, they did nothing but according to their warrant, and according to their injunction that was given unto them by Christ; they propounded no other condition or terms for the making all and everyone of them Members of the Church, but Baptism and Repentance; the which when the people had accepted of, they were forthwith admitted, and that upon their own word and testimony, without anymore ado, or further inquiry, concerning the soundness of their repentance, without any witness from others of their conversation, and without the voice, allowance or approbation of the people▪ or the multitude of believers in Jerusalem, much less of the whole Church, who were never joined with the Apostles in their Commission, or consulted with by them, whether they should be admitted or no into the Fellowship of the faithful, or demanded or asked by the people, whether it were not fit that they should take some time of further consideration, that they might walk with them, to the end that they might behold their conversation, and by their own experience might further be confirmed, that their conversion was sound and well: Neither did any call for at their hands, that they should make a public confession of their faith to the Church, and give in their evidences to the Congregation, that they were converted really, or that they should take a private covenant, or enter into the Church by way of a peculiar covenant: nothing of all this specified: But it is only related, that the people upon their being pricked in their hearts, applied themselves unto the Apostles, and that the Apostles by their own authority, and that power that was delegated unto them without reference to the Church or people, admitted them into the number of Believers.
I expected in this place to have met with General Burton, or cavalier Hanserdo, Saint George his chaplain, knowing what daring men they are, that they would have fought me here especially, and that they would have endeavored with all their forces to have beat me from this ground, a place so advantageous, that they that are Masters of it may bid defiance to the powerfullest, and potentest enemies of the truth: and indeed I did so much the more expect their encounter here, and that they would have given me Battle, and that we should have had a pitched field for it, because they have ever pretended an interest in it; yea, and challenge a right unto it, saying, that the church of Jerusalem is theirs, and which is more, they had by usurpation got this church into their hands, and had the possession of it, and having thus attained unto their design, being backed with great friends, some Tobiasses and Sanballets, they began to build castles in the air, and made Fortifications in their brain, and laid a foundation in their fantasy, upon which they built an Independent Church, consisting of no more then could all meet in one place, to enjoy all acts of worship in God's service, and pretended that this Church being the Mother-church, was to be an example and pattern to all the Daughter-churches, and that all Churches through the world must be governed after that model; and being by the assistance of many Sanballat’s and Tobiesses much strengthened, as I said before, they began to insult, and to give Laws of government to all Churches, and to gather and set up churches after their own model, and being much assured of their own strength, they bad defiance to the whole world, flinging and casting their Gloves to all their enemies assembled and not assembled; whereupon I being a Commander in the Presbyterian Army, and taking up the Glove came out against them, and by divine assistance reduced this place, and took it from them which they had sometime unjustly detained from the Presbyterians, to whom indeed it belonged by the right of inheritance and succession: I say I having by conquest taken this strong city from the Independent Usurpers, that now labor to manage all government by sea and land, in church and state, pretending they are Saints, and that the Saints must govern the world; and being in the possession of it, I expected that those two confiding Commanders, Saint Hanserdo, valiant and venerable old Henry being so completely armed as he was, with his sword, and Phocions Hatchet, and with his great white baskethilted beard, that both of them assisted also with I. S. would have come out in battle against me, and would not have left the field, as Van Trump lately left the sea, especially seeing in their march they all passed by the church of Jerusalem, and having also so great an advantage against me, they being three to one, which makes me conceive that they are all, either desperate cowards, or terribly treacherous, and in that regard are not fit to be Generals and Commanders any longer in so great an Army as that of the Ill-dependents; yea, this their declining Battle with me makes me boldly conclude of them, that they deal unmanly on all sides: for if the church of Jerusalem be theirs, and that they have any interest in it, or a right unto it, why did they not now engage themselves in her quarrel, and fight for her, especially when all their Army lay in the field? certainly it had been much for all their honors now to have shown their valor: and therefore, they all of them not striking a stroke, proclaim unto all the world their want, both of animosity, and all heroical virtue, and their want also of honesty, in that they pretend a right unto that they have no just title or claim to, and for which they dare not fight, in that they amuse the people, and stir up factions on every side, and all to strengthen their own party, for the making of a groundless combustion in Church & State, telling the people that they have power and interest in the government of the Church, and that authority and jurisdiction only belongeth unto the Presbyters, which they ought always to exercise in the name of the Church, and thereupon they persuade them, that if they relinquish this their right unto the Presbyters, they will more Lord it over them then ever the Prelates did; and they teach them farther, that this right is derived unto them from the example of the Church of Jerusalem, and the other Primitive Churches, who when they were cast into a Gospel form, as they say, the Apostles and Ministers had not the sole power of governing them, but the people also were joined with them, and that they are all of them to have their voices, both in electing of officers, and in receiving in of Members, and casting out of any offenders as well as the Presbyters and Ministers, and wish all the people to stand and continue in that liberty wherein Christ hath made them free; these and such like unsound Principles they season the people with, for the inraging of them against the Presbyters, and take all occasions to pervert the holy Scripture, for the maintenance of their new-found way of Independency, and labor continually by shifts and jugglings to evade the dint of any Arguments that are brought against them, for the proving that the power of government in the church resideth in the Presbyters and Ministers hands, both for the admission of Members, and the casting of them out, as it did in the hands of John the Baptist and the Apostles, and Disciples, who only had the authority with the Keys committed unto them by God himself, and who only exercised it in their days, as by innumerable examples may be proved, as by that of John the Baptist, and the Apostles in the church of Jerusalem, which latter example, both my brother Burton, and J. S. pass by with great silence, wherein they deal most dishonestly, as I shall by and by make appear. But for the example of John the Baptist, my brother Burton set upon that at first, pretending to the people, that the example of John's gathering in of people by his sole authority was not binding, because as he saith it was extraordinary, and that the Churches and Assemblies gathered by him were not formedinto Christian Churches, these are his words, page 16. and that those Churches only which were put into a Gospel form after Christ's Ascension are to be a pattern of government unto all Christian churches to the end of the world; and he saith, if we visit them, we sh • ll find that in them the power of admitting and rejecting Members was not in the Apostles and Ministers alone; and for an instance of this he bringeth in the Church of Corinth, 2 Cor. 2. which he saith is a sufficient President to all churches: and thereupon concludes, and so persuades the people, that the example of John the Baptist in receiving in and admitting of Members by his sole authority, cannot be an example & pattern to the Ministers under the Gospel to do the same; and therefore labors with all his power to evade the dint of that Argument by such turnings and evasions as these, telling the people, That those Congregations that were gathered by him, not being in a Gospel-Form, nor molded up after the New Testament form, cannot be bindingly presidential; and therefore for our imitation, he affirms, we must necessarily come to the Christian Churches constituted by the Apostles, after Christ's Ascension; as that one for example, the Church of Corinth, in which, saith my Brother Burton, The people had authority of admitting and rejecting members, as well as the Apostles and Presbyters; and therefore, those primitive and Apostolic Churches only, are to be a pattern of imitation to all Christians and Ministers of governing by, and not that of the Baptist; and by this their craft and juggling, and by these fallacious means and unwarrantable ways, my Brother Burton, Hanserdo Knollys, and I. S. with all the fraternity of the Ill-dependent Predicants, having prepossessed the people with a prejudicate opinion against their faithful Ministers, as if they affected a lordly power over them, and more then Prelatical: They have, I say, by this craft so infatuated them, that there is scarce left an ear open in many of them to hear the just defense of the Presbyterians, or an eye to see or read what they can say for themselves, and against all their calumnies; which wickedness and deceitful dealing of the Ildependents itinetary Preachers is inexcusable. But because my Brother Burton not only carps at the example of John the Baptist, but likewise at those I brought of the Eunuch, of Paul, of Cornelius, of Lydia, and of the Goaler, Mr. Knollys also joining with him in this good service and skirmish; the which after that both himself and Absurdo Know-less (for so he may truly be called) had spent their breath and strength to evade, and yet perceiving evidence of truth in them so apparently perspicuous, as it dazzled their eyes, they cry out, that those were extraordinary examples, and not binding, because those being baptized, were not admitted or received members into any particular Church, but into the Catholic visible Church; and therefore, say they, those examples are not for our imitation, we look only for the example of such Churches as were cast into a Gospel-Form, and into the mould of the New Testament-Form.
Now, what a heighth of wickedness is it in these men, thus to trifle for the deluding of the simple people, and to pretend unto them, that there are divers ways of admitting of members into Christ's Church? one way of admitting members into the Catholic visible Church, and another of admitting members into a particular Church, when in truth there is no difference; for he that is a member of any particular Church, is a member of the Catholic, and so on the contrary, as by the examples both ordinary and extraordinary by me produced, is sufficiently apparent; for they were all admitted after one and the same way; and I had two examples of receiving in members into Churches constituted after the New Testament Form; as that of Jerusalem and Damaseus, both Churches according to the Gospel-Form; and there were there three thousand received members at one time in the church of Jerusalem, without any of those conditions they require at their members hands; and Paul also was received a member of the Church of Damascus, upon the same terms that all the rest were; and therefore the example is bindingly presidential: And these two examples are taken no notice of, but are passed by; and all the other counted extraordinary by them: And the people by this means are deluded and miserably abused.
Now can there be a greater imposture or deceit in any that pretend unto Religion and honesty, then that in these men? When they say in their writings upon all occasions, produce us some examples of Churches according to the New Testament Form, wherein any members were admitted by the Ministers sole authority, and without the consent of the people, and without those conditions we require of all such as are to be admitted members into our Churches, and then you do something? Can there, I say, be a greater deceit in any men, then this of theirs, to make the people believe that there hath never been any such example produced; when notwithstanding I had set that example of the Church of Jerusalem, and that of Damascus, both constituted after the Gospel-Form before their eyes? in both of which, their members were admitted by the sole and alone authority of the Ministers of those Churches, without the consent of the people, or without any of those requisites they now demand of their members in all their new gathered Churches; By which their proceedings, they make themselves guilty before God, and all men of indirect dealing, and of withholding the Truth from the people in unrighteousness; and manifestly declare unto the world, that they are resolved against all the Light of the Truth, obstinately to persist in their erroneous ways, which is the greatest height of impiety and wickedness in the world, and no less then to resist the Spirit of God: For if there had been but the least dram of candor and fair dealing in them, they would never have uttered such words; and had there been but any Christian honesty, and love to the peace of the Church in them, they would not have passed by the Church of Jerusalem, and that of Damascus unsaluted, and without taking any notice of them, and fell upon the examples of the Eunuch Cornelius, Lydia, and the Goaler, and then pretend that they were extraordinary.
But that all men may see my fair dealing with them, and (if it be possible) that I may undeceive the deluded people, I will in this place to gratify my Brother Burton, and Absurdo Know-less, set before their eyes the examples of the two Mother Churches in their Gospel-Form: viz. that of Jerusalem & Samaria, that so by the mouth of two witnesses, the Truth may the better be confirmed.
Now, because they took no notice of the Church of Jerusalem in my former Book, but pass it by as not worth the regarding, I shall desire them at this time, and all those that read this Book, duly to consider how members were admitted there, not only at one time, but always: And I shall desire them likewise, seriously to weigh the practice of that Church in the admitting of their members: the example of which, according to their doctrine, must ever be followed and imitated.
And because my Brother Burton says, That the other Churches also are to be taken in for the making up of a complete pattern, I will produce two other formed churches after the New Testament Form among the Gentiles, and them eminent ones, that there may be no want of witnesses; for the confirming us in the right way of gathering Churches, and for the receiving in of members.
First therefore I shall entreat the Reader to look into the second chapter of the Acts where he shall find at the first admi • sion there were three thousand souls taken in and made Members of that Church by the sole power of the Apostles, and where the people had no voice in the admission of them: neither was it required that they should walk sometime in fellowship with them, that they might have experience of the truth of their conversion; neither was it required of them that they should make everyone of them a public confession of their faith, and bring in the evidences of their conversion, or that they should enter into a particular explicit Covenant, or that they should have the consent of the whole Church; nothing of all this was required there; neither had the people any hand in the admitting of them, but the Apostles by themselves and by their sole authority managed the whole business; for those that were converted and pricked in their hearts applying themselves unto the Apostles said, Men and Brethren what shall we do; and the conditions upon which they admitted them upon their repentance were these only; believe and be baptized in the Name of our Lord Jesus; the blessed Apostles were not acquainted with our new model, nor with the conditions of the new Congregations. But by the way let me tell the Illdependents that the Apostles and Disciples had then a just ground of making such conditions, if ever any had; for they might with great reason have said, howsoever these souls be not miracle proof, but that they are wounded to the heart by them, and by the Sermon of Peter; yet we are not by and by to confide in them and to admit them into church fellowship, unless they will walk some time with us that we may have experience of the truth of their conversion; and unless also they will make all and everyone of them a public and particular confession of his faith, and bring in the evidences of their conversion, and enter also into a particular explicit covenant for observing all the Laws of membership, and that they come in by the general consent and approbation of the church. I say if ever there was a time that these conditions might have been required by any, it might then especially have been, because all those had had their hand in crucifying of the Lord of life, as Peter told them; and therefore they might all be well suspected that howsoever for the present they were all struck into a trembling condition, yet that they could not judge upon so short a time of the soundness of their conversion, and therefore they might well have urged all the former conditions, and chiefly because they had our Savior's own example freshly before their eyes in the second of John where it is related that he would not commit himself unto men which had been convinced by his miracles, although they believed in him; so that I say in that regard, when Christ would not commit himself unto them, the Apostles and Disciples might much more have pretended in all these regards that they had no reason to confide in these men until they had had better experience of them for the truth of their conversion. But when neither the Apostles nor none of all the Disciples so much as urged any conditions upon them beyond the commission given them by Christ; to wit, Repentance, Faith and Baptism: the example of this church is forever binding to all churches, that they in the admission of their Members should do the same, and they that propound other conditions do no less then accuse the Apostles of injustice and imprudency, as of taking that authority into their own hands from the people, and of so suddenly and without any deliberation admitting of Members into church-fellowship which ought, according to my brother Burtons doctrine, ever to be done with great caution, who saith in his 14. Page Multa cautela non nocet; adding moreover that in things weighty we cannot be too wary, in regard they look not so much at circumstances in conversion as the substance; and in regard also there ought to be a provident care for preventing inconveniences and scandals; seeing turpius ejici • ur quam non admittitur hospes, it is easier for a guest to be kept out then to be cast out; by all which his expressions and by their daily practice they do no less then proclaim unto the world that the Apostles took too much upon them and were not so prudent in the admission of Members into church-fellowship and communion as they should have been: for if they did not accuse the practice of all the Apostles of deficiency, why do they not follow their examples? and why do they impose new laws of admitting of Members and other conditions, then either Christ the King of his church, God blessed forever, or his holy Apostles did? Which whether or no it be not one of the presumptuous and blasphemous wickednesses, both in the Ministers and the people that exercise this new Government, that ever was in the world, I leave it to the judgment of all conscientious and solid Christians. This one example in the church of Jerusalem might be a sufficient president for all churches imitation for ordinary admission of Members into church-fellowship. But I will produce other admissions in the same church, that there may be no want of witnesses to corroborate this truth.
In the last verse of the second chapter, besides this first admission, in terminis it is said there, that the Lord added daily unto the Church such as should be saved. Here we find additions of Members upon additions; for they were daily added (saith the Scripture) and that by the Lord and King of his Church Jesus Christ, and that upon the former conditions; for we learn of no other: viz. of repenting, believing and being baptized: Here we find nothing of walking sometime before their admission, here is nothing of public confession of their faith, nothing of bringing in of the evidences of their conversion, nothing of a particular explicit Covenant, nothing of the consent of the Church; the Lord Jesus whiles the Government of his church, whose yoke was easy and his burden light, lay upon his shoulders, and as long as the rule lay in his own hands, and before it came to my brother Burtons fine white fingers, (which he saith in his learned Epistle that some of his friends would not have him foul with me) I say whiles the Government of Christ's Church lay in his own hands, and before it came to my brother Burtons fingers, and into the paws and clutches of those of the congregational way; all Christ's Disciples and precious ones were admitted into church-fellowship without that heavy burden of those conditions they have most arrogantly brought into the Church of God; by which in as much as in them lies they have not only put the whole world in a combustion, but most blasphemously dis▪throned Christ, preferring their own vain traditions before his most holy Laws, and doing all in the Churches name, and enslaved his people, whiles notwithstanding they pretend they set up Christ, upon his Throne, and they preach the liberty of the Gospel unto the people, which is most impiously to juggle on all sides. But now to go on to the other presidents of admitting Members in that Church.
In the fourth chapter we have it recorded, verse 4. that many of them which heard the Word believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand: And all these were admitted into church fellowship and into the Communion of the Saints, and that by virtue of their believing Repentance and Baptism, as the Scripture relateth. Here is nothing recorded of walking any time, for they were suddenly admitted, here is nothing of a public conf • ssion of their faith, nothing of bringing in the evidences of their conversion, nothing of an explicit particular Covenant, not a word of the consent of the people. And yet this was the first formed Church after the New Testament Form; by all which it doth sufficiently appear, that all▪the practice and prattle of the new gathered Churches hath neither precept nor president for it in the Mother Church. But it is not amiss to produce an example or two more, omitting many through the Acts.
In the fifth chapter, upon the sudden and miraculous death of Ananias & Sapphira, and through the other wonders and miracles that were wrought, it is said▪ that believers were the more added unto the Lord, multitudes both of men and women: that is to say, many more Congregations and Assemblies of believers were added to the Lord and admitted to be Members of that Church; And all these also were admitted to be Members by the Apostles sole authority, and that as soon as they offered themselves to be entertained without any of those conditions they now require in their new gathered Churches: And yet let me tell the Independents by the way, that at this time also the Apostles and Disciples might have challenged a right to have propounded those conditions, if they might at any time have been urged upon the people: for they might have suspected, that this sudden conversion proceeded more from the miracles then from any sound conviction of them from the conscience of their sin: And therefore they might have urged that it was now very fit that they should propound some other conditions of admission then they had formerly imposed upon them; and that it was requisite and convenient that they should now walk sometime in church-fellowship with them, that they might have more & better assurance of their real and true conversion, and that they ought therefore before their admission be urged to make all and everyone of them a particular confession of their faith, and bring in the evidences of their conversion, and enter into a particular explicit Covenant for the better preserving of Church Communion; especially they seeing now before their eyes a president of so gross hypocrisy and false dealing in Ananias and Sapphira, and what a consternation came upon the whole church by it, and by the which also God was so much displeased: therefore I say in all these regards they might then with very good reason, if at any time, have urged all those conditions, and withal they might well have added, that they should not be admitted without the consent of the whole church, of all which when there is no mention, it is abundantly evident that they were received into church communion without them and that by the sole authority of the Apo • tl • s, which is left for a rule for all other churches to the end of the World of admitting Members after the same manner; which when the Independents in all their new gathered churches daily swerve from in their admission of Members, they are in their so doing prevaricators both against the precept of Christ the King of his church, and against the example of the blessed Apostles, and against the example of the church at Jerusalem, which was the first formed church after the New Testament Form; by which practice of theirs they make themselves offenders in an elevated nature.
Now I will add one example more of ordinary admission of Members, and that in the same Church, chap. 6. it is said, verse 7. that the Word of God increased, and the number of Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith. All these also were by the Apostles sole authority admitted Members of that Church: And here likewise the Apostles and Disciples might upon very good ground have urged the imposing of new conditions of admitting Members, if they might at any time have done it, in regard of those Pri • sts, for they were notoriously known to have been Christ's enemies in his life and death, and • ad a great stroke in his crucifying, and therefore if the Disciples were afraid of Paul, as it is rel • ted in the ninth chapter, because he had persecuted the Church, and in that regard were unwilling that he should be a joint Member with them, they had very good warrant here of being afraid of this great company of Priests, and might therefore have desired that they might not be admitted Members into Church-fellowship, till they had walked some time with them, that they might have some testimonies of their true conversion, and that they might also for the satisfying of the whole Church, everyone of them make a particular confession of their faith, and bring in the evidences of their conversion, and enter into a particular explicit Covenant, and be received in by the consent of the whole church; all these things I say they might have urged with great authority, and have been as well afraid of these Priests as they were of Paul: Now in that the Apostles admitted here of all those Priests, as they did of Paul, Acts 9. by their sole authority, and without their either walking with them in Fellowship some time, or without a public confession of their faith, or bringing in their evidences of their conversion, or without a particular explicit Covenant, or without the consent of the people; I say in all these regards it is manifest to all such as will not put out their own eyes, that all the Independents that impose other Laws upon the people in their admission of Members into Church-fellowship with them, are Trangr • ssors in a high degree against both the command and example of Christ, who admitted of all that came to him, and refused none, and against the example of all the holy Apostles, and against the practice of the Mother Church, and the first formed Church after the New Testament Form; and therefore, I will be bold to say thus much, That all those Ministers and people of the Congregational by-path, that shall notwithstanding all that I have now set before them out of the good Word of God, still persist in their unwarrantable practices against both the prec • p • and president of Christ, the King of his Church, and of all his bl • ss • d Apostles, they will be found fighters against God; and i • they do not all of them, that have had their hand in these unwarrantable proceedings, speedily repent, and relinguish th • se the •• r • bellious courses, they will highly provoke the Lord & King of his Church, to come out in wrath and indignation against them. And who knows but as he let the devil loose upon the sons of Sceva, those exorcists, for abusing his Authority, and using his N • m • for all their wicked dealings, I say, who knows but the righteous and just God may in like manner, if they will still persist & go on in these wicked and ungodly courses, to seduce his people, and pretend that they have authority from him, for their preaching and practicing of all these things, notwithstanding they have neither precept nor example for them in all the holy Word of God, that he may in justice let the devil loose upon them, for the beating of them all out of their TUBS? Certain I am, they by all these their dealings, highly provoke the Lord to jealousy, and that daily; so that if the Christian Magistrates do not take some speedy course for the vindicating of God's Honor, I do verily believe, the Lord will from Heaven show some fearful judgment upon this whole Kingdom, and visit it with so many plagues, and such sore calamities, as all the Inhabitants thereof, will desire, & wish, that the Mountains may fall upon them, and the Hills cover them from the presence of the Lamb, and from him that sitteth upon the Throne; the which, that they may not happen upon this Nation, shall be my daily & constant prayer. And this shall serve to have spake concerning the Church of Jerusalem, the first formed Church, and concerning the ordinary admission of members in it. I will now come to the Church of Samaria, and that of Corinth, and Ephesus, all formed Churches, according to the Gospel-Form, and briefly show how members were admitted into them all, and by whom, and upon what conditions; that all men may see there is no want of presidents to convince the Ildependents of their Grolleries.
In the eighth of the Acts it is related there, that through the miracles of Philip, and through his preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women, from the greatest to the least, Verse 10, 12. And were all admitted unto Church-fellowship, and that by Philip's sole authority; and this his method of gathering of Churches, was ratified by the authority of the Apostles, Peter and John, and the whole College of the Apostles at Jerusalem. And this was a true formed Church after the New Testament Form: For in this Christ himself had planted a Church, and converted many, as it is at large set down in the fourth Chapter of the Gospel of Saint John; and here it is said, That the people with one accord, gave heed unto those things that Philip spake, and that there was great joy in that City, Verse 6, 8. And that they were all baptized both men and women.
Here we have neither any walking required at their hands, for he better assurance, either of Philip or the Church, of the soundness of their conversion: Here is no public confession of their faith required before their admittance into Church-fellowship: Here is no evidences of their conversion called for: Here is no particular explicit covenant demanded of them: Here is no consent of the people desired before their admission into Church communion, and yet this was a Church established according to the Gospelform. So that according to the practice of the two Mother churches in Judea, and Israel, all believers were admitted members, and received into Church-fellowship, without the conditions those of the Congregational way now require of all those of their new gathered Churches: Whether therefore it be not a high presumption and arrogancy in all the Independents, to slight the Laws of Christ, the King of his Church, and the example of Christ himself, and the example of all the blessed Apostles, I leave it to the judgment of all prudent and advised Christians. I will now to satisfy my Brother Burtons desire, visit some Churches of the Gentiles, formed according to the New Testament Form; and I will first in this visitation, begin with that Church which he himself hath set before all Churches for a pattern of imitation, viz. the Church of Corinth.
In the eighteenth of the Acts it is recorded, that when Silas and Timothy were come unto Paul to Corinth, the Jews refusing to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that he shook his raiment against them, and said unto them your blood be upon your own heads, I am clear, from hence-forth I will go unto the Gentiles, and departing thence, he entered into ones house named Iustus, one that worshipped God, and preaching the Gospel there, it is said, that Crispus a chief Ruler of the Synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized.
Here we see in a Church put into a Gospel form, the Members of that church were admitted by the sole authority of Saint Paul, and that barely upon their hearing and believing; for the Apostle required no other conditions of them for their admission into church Fellowship, he said not unto those many that were baptized, that before they could be made Members of that church they must walk some time with the church, that they might have experience of the truth of their conversion; neither did he enjoin them for satisfaction of the people, to make a public confession of their faith, or to bring in the evidences of their conversion, or to enter into any particular explicit covenant, or to have the consent of the whole church, nothing of all this did Paul require of the Corinthians in this church after the Gospel form; but following Christ the Kings commission upon their Faith, Repentance, and Baptism, he hy his own and sole authority admitted them. The same way of admitting of Members we shall find in the Church of Ephesus, as it is at large to be seen in the nineteenth chapter of the Acts, where the manner of admission of Members there is fully set down, and that was a Church also my Brother Burton sets down amongst those that must be brought in for the making up of a complete pattern, now in all those Churches they were all admitted upon Christ's own terms, and by the Apostles and Ministers sole authority, without either walking sometime with the Church, or without any public confession of their faith to the Congregation, or bringing in their evidences, or entering into any private explicit Covenant, or without the consent of the people. How unsufferable a thing▪therefore is it now then in all those of the congregational way, to demand other conditions of all their Members before they can be admitted into Church-fellowship with them, then those that Christ the King of his Church, and all his blessed Apostles demanded? If this be not the highest point of presumption that was ever heard of, I leave it to the consideration of the very ruggedest Independents upon due deliberation, desiting they may all seriously lay it to heart, and timely repent of it: for if they do not they will indeed be found fighters against God, and dis-throners of Christ the King, when they shall slight both his Laws and example, and the example of his blessed Apostles, and the practice of all those glorious Gospel formed Churches, and set up new Laws and examples of gathering Churches, and of admitting of Members, whereas in all the New Testament we have but one way of admitting of Members, whether in an ordinary way, or an extraordinary; for they that are made Members of any particular Church, by virtue of that they are made Members of the Catholic, and those likewise that are made Members of the Catholic Church, may by virtue of their admission into it, be Members in any particular Church, as I shall prove by the Independents own Principles. And as for the ordinary way of admitting of Members, I have proved it from the fore-going examples, and the Primitive practice, that it was upon condition only of Repentance, Faith, and Baptism, and Christ required no more; and for the extraordinary way if it be evinced that that was after the same manner, and upon no other conditions, then all men may see into what a desperate condition of Rebellion all the Independents have by their new ways plunged themselves into, and may withal well perceive the vanity of all those cavils my Brother Burton, and Master Knollys made against my following Arguments. Now that they may see how, and upon what conditions all Christians were admitted into the catholic visible Church, it will be worth their pains to look upon the practice of the holy Ministers of the Gospel, both Evangelists and Apostles, who were all directed in what they did, by the special command of Christ himself; And therefore far more worthy of imitation then our Independents practices▪ Now we may take notice, that when the Angel appeared unto Cornelius, in the tenth of the Acts, he sent him unto Joppa, to call for one Simon, whose surname was Peter; he did not send him unto the Church in Joppa. And it is related that when Peter came to Cornelius, and that he had recited unto him the manner of the vision, and that he was commanded by the Angel to send for him; it is further also declared what Peter there did, and that he said, of a truth J perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every Nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. And after a Sermon made unto Cornelius, and all that were assembled there with him; It is said, that the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word, and that all the believers that came with Peter, were astonished at it, for they heard them speak with divers tongues, and magnified God. Then answered Peter, can any man forbid water that these men should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Here we see first, that Peter was sent unto, and not the Church: Secondly, that he admitted Cornelius and those that were with him into the number of believers, and into the fellow-ship of the Church by his own authority, and never consulted with the Church to ask their leave or voice, but concludes the business with an interrogation, which hath a greater force of binding that no man ought to hinder any believer from coming into the society of the church and communion of Saints, in whom the graces of God's spirit evidently appear, as in these; so that if either the Ministers come into their houses, or they go into the Ministers and make sufficient testimony by themselves of their faith, and that they fear God, of what nation soever they be, they are by the Ministers to be admitted; the congregation hath nothing to do to hinder any such, nay, they may not, it is more than belongs unto them; neither did those that came with Peter intermeddle in that business, or require a covenant at their hand, or a public confession of their faith.
Again, when the Lord of his infinite mercy was purposed to reveal himself unto the Eunuch in the 8. of the Acts, he sendeth Philip the Evangelist unto him, whom he found reading in his chariot, the prophesy of Jsaiah, and after that he had interpreted unto him that prophesy, and preached unto him Jesus and Baptism in his name it is related, that when they came unto a certain water, the Eunuch said unto him, what doth hinder me to be baptized? and Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest: And he answered and said, J believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God: and he commanded the chariot to stand still and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him. Here we see that Philip and not the church was sent unto the Eunuch, and that Philip by his own authority, and upon the Eunuch his own testimony, without any reference unto any church, or without consulting with any Congregation, admits him into the number of believers, and makes him a member of the church, and here was neither a public confession required of him by any of the church, or any Covenant exacted by the people: and so when Saul in the 9. of the Acts was fallen down out of astonishment, and afterwards was converted as the Story there fully declareth the whole manner of it, the Lord sent one Ananias a Disciple, and Minister unto him; he did not send the church unto him, neither did Ananias when he came to Saul, say unto him, I will consult with the church to see whether they will admit thee to be a member, for thou hast greatly wasted the church, and made havoc of the Saints, and therefore I will have their approbation and consent, and I will have thee first walk with the Church some time, that they may behold thy conversation, and then thou shalt make a confession of thy faith publicly before the Congregation, and give in thy evidences of the truth of thy conversion, and enter in a private and solemn covenant, and so be received and admitted. But without all this ado he baptizes Paul and admitteth him into the number of believers, and makes him a member of this formed Church, & that by his sole authority, and he was received immediately among the Disciples at Damascus without any reluctance, or so much as any scruple, and strait-way he preached Christ in the Synagogue that he was the Son of God; he was both ordained and put in office without the approbation and consent of the people, who knew nothing of the business, but only stood amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the high Priest? The Ministers in those days when they were all taught of God, they only admitted Members by their own authority into the church, without the approbation of the people; but in these our days, wherein people have gotten itching ears, and teachers after their own humors (such as S. Paul speaks of in his Epistles to Timothy) they teach a new doctrine, and bring forth new borne lights, to the darkening of truth it self, and to the bringing in a confusion of all things. See what Saint James saith in his fifth chapter to all churches and Christians in the world, Is any man sick, saith he? let him send for the Presbyters of the churches, and let them pray over him, &c. and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. The Apostle James here sends all Christians to the Presbyters of every church, who had the power of the Keys delegated unto them for spiritual comfort, and whose office only it was to pronounce pardon and remission of sins unto the sick upon their true Repentance, if they had offended and sinned against God in the time of their health, and so scandalized the Gospel and the Church; and it was the Presbyters place and office to admit them again into the fellowship and communion of the Saints upon their co • dial and untained repentance, and that without asking the church any leave; for as the Presbyters only had the power of casting out offenders out of the Church, so they only had the authority of receiving them in again upon their repentance, and not the Church; so if we look into all those Epistles that were written unto the seven Churches of Asia, in the 2. and 3. of the Revelations, we shall find them all directed to the Angels of the seven Churches, which is as much as to say, to the presidents of every several Presbytery established and constituted in everyone of those Churches; which is a sufficient Argument to me, to prove a Counsel or College of godly Ministers in everyone of those cities, according to that of Paul to Titus, chap. 1. verse 5. for this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest ordain Presbyters in every City, not one but many. And in the 14. of the Acts, verse 23. and when they had ordained them Presbyters in every Church, &c. many Presbyters, a College of them was appointed to every Church: and so in the 20. of the Acts, there were many Presbyters who had the charge and government of that Church committed unto them in common, ver. 28. there was a College of them constituted in that church, and therefore for order sake (which the light of nature teacheth) they must have a President, who by the way of excellency, and to distinguish him from the other, is called an Angel, as the inscription of the Epistle, Rev. 12. 1. declares, saying, Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus. As in our dialect, when we speak of the great counsel of the Kingdom, or of the reverend assembly of Divines, if there be occasion of distinguishing the Presidents of those councils from the other Judges in those assemblies, we say, Master Speaker in the house of Lord's or Commons; or of the President of the Ministers, we say, Master Prolocutor; and if any have occasion to write to either houses or to the Assembly, they direct their letters to the Speakers, or to the Prolocutor, who communicates them to each Assemblies, as being the Presidents of each Society, and yet none of all these Presidents by that their place of honor and eminency have anymore power or authority then the rest, but only in the casting voice when the parties upon any occasion are for number equal, and for appointing of the times and places of meeting, and for the methodical and orderly carriage of the business; yea, it is ever observed, wheresoever there is a President, there is a college or council, or a court; nature dictates this, and the custom of all nations proves it: and withal, by the same light of reason that counsel or college to whom God himself writes and directs his letters for redressing of abuses, has the power in their hands for the rectifying of things amiss, and that it peculiarly belongeth unto them, as to the Magistrates invested with authority, to order things according to direction, and to punish and cast out offenders; and that by their own power, without the consent and approbation of the people, as it is now in the great Council and Parliament of the Kingdom; who make not the people acquainted with what they have to do, but so far as it pleaseth themselves, and not out of any duty: And so it was in the government of God's Church by the first constitution, every Church consisting of many congregations, were governed by a college of Presbyters, as that of Jerusalem, and this of Ephesus, and the other six Churches; in all the which the Presbyters by their sole authority governed them according to God's Word, without taking the people into council with them, who were nowhere joined in commission with them: and therefore it is most apparent by those examples I have now produced, and many more that might be added; and from the commission that Christ gave to the Apostles, and in them to all Ministers, that the people had not their voices, either for the admitting of any to be Members in any church, or in the casting out of any for their delinquency, much less have they authority to require a public confession of their faith to be made unto the congregation, or to exact of them to bring in the evidences of their true conversion, or to require that they should walk with them some time before admission, or to enter into a solemn private Covenant before they be admitted as Members, for we have no president for any of these things in God's Word, much less any command, only in Acts the sixth, there is mention made, that the Apostles for the freeing of themselves from all unnecessary incombrances, and that they might the better attend upon their Ministry and preaching, gave the people liberty to make choice of their own Deacons, but still keeping the power of ordaining them in their own hand, which always was arbitrary in them whether they would exercise it or no, neither would the Apostles have ordained them, unless those that were to be ordained, had been men so qualified as they had appointed; for otherwise, it lay in their choice whether they would ordain them or no. But that ever the congregation or people had the power of admitting of members, or of ordaining of Officers, it is nowhere extant in God's Word: But that the women should have a voice in the Church, either for receiving in, or casting out of members or officers, or should have anything to do with Peters Keys, it is against the law of God and nature: For Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, 14. makes it one of the marks of confusion in any Church where women have their voices, saying, God is not the Author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the Saints; and in the next verse following in express words saith, Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law: and if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for women to speak in the Church. And what Saint Paul writ to this Church of Corinth he writ to all Churches, and proclames that what he writ to them were the commandments of the Lord, ver. 37. so that God had commanded that the women should not speak in the Church, and saith that it is a shame they should: and yet in these our days, in many of the new congregations, they have their voices in choosing of officers and admitting of Members, and have all of them Peters Keys at their Girdle, and make learned parts of speech in the congregation, and dispute questions and debate of matters and give their reasons con & pro as it is credibly reported and others of them set • orth and print learned Treatises in polemical Divinity with great applause and admiration of the Independent Ministers who cite their authority, and quote them in their writings as classical authors, to the shame of the Nation and ludibry of Religion: and howsoever there is not any that shall more honor the truly virtuous and pious of that sex than myself, yet I must confess when I see how far they become transgressors of the law of God and do those things that the holy Apostle hath not only forbidden, but proclaimed a shame; I cannot but exceedingly blame them, and those Ministers that allow of and approve of such rebellion against God and nature. And as if it had been the special care in the Apostle to prevent this evil of women's intermeddling in matters of the Church, he foreseeing the confusion that would be brought in upon it: In his first Epistle to Timothy, and in him to all Ministers, to whom the Government of the Church was committed, he gives him direction how to behave himself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God; in chap. 2. verse 11. 12. he saith. Let the women learn in silence, with all subjection; for I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence; for Adam was first made, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, was in the transgression, &c. Here the Apostle again and again, twice in these few words, enjoins them silence in the church, and imposes upon them subjection and obedience: I suffer not, saith he, a woman to teach or to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silene; and he giveth his reasons of this his command, because saith he, Adam was first made, not by the woman nor of the woman, but the contrary; and therefore she may usurp no authority over the masculine sex, especially in God's matters, and she is to be the disciple of the man, and not the man her scholar: and therefore that superiority that the God of order had established upon the man in the first creation, he doth now re-establish upon him again in his holy Word, after all things through sin had been disordered and confused; and commands the woman to be both subject and silent, especially in the Church. Another reason of this his command is, because the woman was first in the transgression, and was the cause of Adams fall, as he accuses her, and her disputing and voicing of it then brought confusion upon all man-kind; and for this her so doing, S. Paul concludes forever hereafter, that she ought to hold her peace & be in subjection to her husband, and ought to learn in silence at home, but more especially in the Church; for if they come to voice it once again in the Church, as Eve brought confusion upon man-kind by her disputation and reason, so these with their loquacity and babble and confusion of voices will bring in a new Babel into the Church and State, as they have prettily well already begun to do. Saint Paul saith, I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. Here the Apostle as in the place above cited, out of 1 Cor. chap. 14. commands them silence, and permits them not to speak, and expressly forbids them to usurp authority over the man, that is, the viril sex. Now I appeal unto any understanding creature, whether or no, to make large parts of speech in the Church (as many of them upon occasions do) and dispute and give their reasons con & pro, be not to speak in the Church? and whether to have their voices in either admitting of Members or Officers, or in the casting of them out, be not to usurp authority over the man? for all the world knows, that they that have the power in their hands of either admitting of any into the fellowship or communion of the Church, or of hindering their coming in, or have their voices for the casting of them out when they are received, exercise and usurp authority over those they so deal with▪ and there-fore they do against the express prohibition of the Apostles, and all those women that have usurped this authority, and all those Ministers that have permitted them so to do, or taught this doctrine unto them, are all guilty of great contumacy against God, and ought seriously to repent for this their temerity and rebellion, and it will be the imortall honor of those women that have not intermeddled; and if there be not some speedy course taken by authority to forbid such disorder, we may promise nothing to the Church and whole Kingdom but confusion. It hath ever been observed, that Hermaphrodite councils in any Kingdom or Country, when women that are subjects intermeddle in government and matters of state, that that Kingdom and Country is very crazed and not far from ruin and destruction; and we need not look into many ages or countries for presidents of this kind; and if Hermaphrodite counsels in Kingdoms have ever been so fatal unto them, what may any man think in time will become of this Church and Kingdom, when the women have gotten Peters Keys at their girdle, and have their voices in many congregations, and a power of ordering and disposing of things in Church affairs? Certainly, nothing but confusion can be expected; for this their doing is against the express command of God, who is the God of order, and enjoins the contrary: Yea, it is not only against the law of God, but against the very law of nature and the practice of all Nations; for never was it yet heard of in any well governed City, or Commonwealth, or Kingdom, that women that were subjects had their voices in choosing officers or Burgesses, or making of freemen, or disfranchising of them, or were permitted so much as to sit in counsel with them, much less to rule and give laws to others out of their own houses: And therefore as it is a thing odious to God and man, and that which is a shame to that sex, it ought to be cast out of all well-governed Churches and States; and as the women ought to know their places, so ought all men that are under obedience to learn their duty, and not to take upon them that which God never gave unto them, as to have their voice either in making of members in Churches, or casting of them out, or of ordaining of officers, or of imposing laws upon others, either of making public confessions before the congregations, or of producing evidences of their conversion, or that they should walk with them some time that they might behold their conversation, or of imposing a Covenant upon any that shall be admitted; for all rule and government in the Church is put into the hands of the Presbyters, and does not belong unto the people or multitude, neither may the Presbyters usurp authority, but they also must exercise it only, according to the commission given unto them by Christ, they may not transgress it or go beyond it in the least thing; and therefore when many of the brethren call for a public confession of men's faith to be made in their new congregations, and the evidences of their conversion to be produced, and impose a Covenant upon them before they admit them to be members of their Church, (as if they had lived before in infidelity; Who notwithstanding were known to be holy and godly Christians, and as true believers as any that now live in the world) and think them only Christians and Believers that do as they would have them, and count of others that will not conform themselves to their customs and novelties; but as the offscowring and refuse and no Christians▪ I say it is an intolerable usurpation, and a thing that was yet never before practiced in the world, in any Church either Jewish or Christian till these days, and therefore they go beyond their commission in so doing; for God in his commission to his Apostles and all Ministers, bids them admit of all that come in and believe and are baptized, he quencheth not the smoking flax nor breaketh the bruised reed; now then, when they know thousands in this Kingdom that do believe, and are men of unblamable lives, and such as would lay down their lives for the faith once delivered unto the Saints and are baptized; what have they to do to lord it over them, and to hinder them from communicating in the Ordinances and to be admitted into Church▪fellowship with them, or to debar them from the communion of the Saints?
Now whereas Master Knollys and my Brother Burton passing by the Church of Jerusalem in their march (as I said before) make some poor weak skirmishes against my forces drawn out of the Garrisons of holy Writ, as that of the Eunuch, Paul, Cornelius, Lydia, and the Goaler, which I had formerly brought into the field, pretending they were extraordinary and not binding, because they were not (as they say) admitted in any particular Church constituted, according to the Gospel form, but into the catholic visible Church: I cannot pass by their trifling without some answer unto their bravado; and therefore I thought good in this place, before I march on to fight them, that they may not hereafter boast, & vapor, that I durst not encounter them, or look upon their most material Reserves, which is concerning Cornelius, and those that were with him, which they especially pitch upon, conceiving they have a great advantage against me, for the making of this ground good, viz. that the sole power of admitting any to be Members of any Church, doth not reside, and lie solely in the Ministers of the Gospel, but that the people also have a hand as well in their admission as they; and if they shall dislike the reception of any, that then the Ministers cannot by their own and sole authority admit them though never so well qualified, for this must necessarily be the scope of their encounter; for to what end otherwise should it be made; yea, their very words manifest as much, which are these, first Master Knollys, page 15. and 16. thus declareth himself, that the brethren did not intermeddle in that business (saith he) viz. of the admittance of Cornelius, and those that were with him by Baptism into the Church, I conceive the reason why the Brethren did not intermeddle to hinder their admittance to that Ordinance of Baptism, was not because they had not that liberty, but because they had no just objections to declare to Peter. Now that the Brethren had a liberty to declare anything which might justly have hindered, doth appear by the question the Apostle expounded (saith he) I conceive he meant propounded, verse 47. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized? And the Doctor himself (saith he) acknowledgeth that the Brethren or Disciples of the Church of Jerusalem, which must be a pattern of all Churches, had this liberty to except against some sort of persons, in case that such persons have been formerly known to have been open Enemies and Persecutors of the Church, and then they are justly to be suspected until they have given public evidence by witness to the Ministers of their true conversation, and there produceth a plain instance to prove this out of Acts the ninth, where Paul coming to Jerusalem assayed to join himself to the Disciples, but they were all afraid of him, believing not that he was a Disciple. Thus Master Knollys speaks, and then concludes, that all the Disciples in the like case have the same liberty, because Jerusalem the Mother-church is to be a pattern to all other Daughter-churches: therefore (saith he) when it doth evidently appear, that the Disciples or Brethren of the Church of Jerusalem in her most flourishing condition had this liberty to declare their fears and their ground thereof against Paul: How can the Doctor (saith he) make good that the Presbyters alone, without the consent of Brethren may admit Members, and cast out Members, and that the Brethren and the Congregation have nothing to do to hinder any such thing? I have faithfully set down his words, and the force of his Argument, to which I will by and by give my answer after I have set down also what my Brother Burton hath to say in this business, and then I will reply to them both in order.
My Brother Burtons words are these, page 17. It is one thing (saith he) to preach, and instrumentally to convert souls, which chiefly pertains to those that are called thereunto, but in the case of Church-government, of admitting and casting out, it is otherwise. And here let Peter himself (whose words you allege) resolves us; who when the Holy Ghost so wonderfully fell on all of them that heard the Word, said, can any man forbid water, that these men should not be baptized? &c. Which words imply, that if any exceptions could have been made, it was in those Jews present, to give forth their allegations, why those believing Gentiles should not be admitted to become one Church with the believing Jews: So as your Observations fall to the ground: as that first, Peter was sent to and • ot the Church: And secondly Peter commanded them to be baptized: Again this example was extraordinary in all the circumstances of it: Your instance of the Eunuch Act. 8. 8. of Lydia Act. 16. as many other, are mere extravagants. We (faith he) speak of Churches constituted, not of single converts here and there one, not yet joined into a particular Church-body.
Thus my brother Burton declareth himself, whose words I have faithfully set down and all he hath to say against all those examples.
But before I come to my answer I shall desire the Reader to take notice of these men's dealings, they make all these examples either extravagants or extraordinary, and yet they would from the example of Cornelius and Peters question to the brethren that came along with him, infer that the authority of admission of Members, lay not only in the Ministers hand but in the people's also, as who had the liberty to bring in their exceptions against any for their not admission. So that these men at pleasure will make the same Scripture they except against as not authoritative and binding for us, yet to be bindingly presidentiall for themselves; So that as far as in their own opinion it makes for their grolleries and serves their turn it shall be for a pattern of imitation to bind all Churches to the end of the world, which both Master Knollys and my brother Burton learnedly infer; but as far as it makes for the advantage of the Presbyterian opinion and to show that the Presbyters have the sole authority of admitting Members into Church▪fellowship from the example of Philip, Ananias, Paul in baptizing the Goaler and Lydia, and Peters baptizing of Cornelius and admitting of him and those that were with him Members into Church communion by their sole authority without those conditions they propound and without the consent of the people, then they cry out that they are extraordinary examples or mere extravagants. Now whether this be not with the Papists to make the Word of God a nose of wax or a leaden rule that they may either work and mould it or bend it into what fashion they please, I leave it to the judgment of the learned and experienced Christian. But by the way also I desire the Reader to take notice what my brother Burton granteth: viz. that the receiving of those Gentiles, and the admitting of them by Peter into the Church by Baptism, was to make them one Church with the believing Jews; these are his own words: From which it is sufficiently apparent, that be men baptized and admitted into the Church either after an ordinary way or after an extraordinary, it is sufficient to incorporate them into Church-fellowship both with the believing Jew and Gentile and to make them Members of Christ's Church, which is as much as I contend for: So that it is most certain as those that are Members of any particular Church, are by virtue of that, Members also of the whole Catholic visible Church: so in like manner those that are made Members of the Catholic visible Church may also by virtue of that, be Members of any particular church: for the Church of Christ is his Kingdom, and it is but one Flock and one Sheepfold, and there is but one Shepherd of it and King that governs it: and therefore in whatsoever part of this Kingdom of Jesus Christ they are admitted Members, and after what manner soever they be admitted, whether in an ordinary or an extraordinary way, they are Members of the whole Church and may communicate in all ordinances with any particular Church whatsoever as being subjects of Christ's Kingdom and enjoying all the immunities and privileges that any of Christ's subjects can challenge. And all this I learn from my brother Burtons doctrine, who so long as he holdeth out any truth unto me, I will listen unto, as he hath done in this point, but no farther. Again as all those, viz. the Eunuch, Paul, Cornelius, Lydia, and the Goaler, were admitted to be Members of Christ's Church by the sole authority of the Ministers, Evangelists and Apostles, and without any of those conditions urged by the brethren; so are all other Christians by the sole authority of the Presbyters to be admitted into church-fellowship, and that upon Christ's own conditions: viz. Faith, Repentance and Baptism. Having upon the occasion of my brother Burtons and Hanserdoes words spake thus much, I will now come to my Answer to them both.
And first whereas they peremptorily affirm from the interrogation of Peter to those that came along with him; where he saith, Can any man forbid water that these men should not be baptized, &c. that it doth imply that the brethren have power also of admitting Members into the church and ought to have their voices, as in the receiving of them in so in the casting of them out. It is a mere non sequitur and a very groundless illation and inference: for the interrogation plainly manifests the contrary: as will appear from other presidents and reason: as for example in the eighth of the Romans ver. 33. 34. Saint Paul saith Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's Elect? Who is he that condemneth? who shall separate us from the love of Christ? All the which interrogations do not imply as the Apostle himself answereth, that any creature can lay anything to the charge of God's Elect, or that any creature can condemn, or that any creature can separate the Elect from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Another instance (to omit many) we have of the same nature with that of Peter Acts 8. 35. Where the Eunuch said unto Philip, See here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? I demand of any whether or no this interrogation of his doth not imply as much as if he had said, no creature now can hinder me from Baptism, seeing that we have water that element that is appointed for it, and I do believe: And so much may be gathered from Philip's Answer to him, who saith, nothing could hinder his baptism and admission into the Church, if he did believe in Christ with all his heart; whereupon the Eunuch answered, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and he was forthwith baptized. So that by this it is sufficiently manifest that that inference they would gather from Peters words cannot groundedly be made: viz. that it is in the power of the people to hinder any: as is yet more evident from Peters own words and reasons when he was questioned about this business in the 11. of the Acts, the story whereof is there set down at large with Peters Answer to all their Objections, Who told them ver. 12. that the spirit bad him go with those that came from Cornelius nothing doubting, &c. saying in the conclusion of his discourse and that with an irresistible reason, ver. 17. For as much then as God gave them the like gifts as he did unto us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I, that I could withstand God? All the which discourse of Peter and this his reason do sufficiently prove that his interrogation, saying, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be bapti • ed? Doth not imply as my Brother Burton and Master Knollys would have it, that it was in the power of those that were with Peter or any other to have hindered their baptism and admission into the church of Christ seeing they believed: For if Peter himself should have refused it he had been disobedient to God himself and had doubted, which he was forbidden and withal had resisted in as much as had been in him the spirit of God; For so saith Saint Peter, What was I, that I could withstand God? From which I gather and that by very good reason that all those of the congregational way that will not admit all such as believe and are baptized into their new gathered churches without they walk some time with them and without the making of a public confession of their faith, and the bringing in of their evidences of their conversion and entering into a particular explicit covenant and without the consent of the whole church are all fighters against God and withstanders of his spirit: And if they do not speedily repent for all their wickedness, and relinquish their ungodly, unchristian and unbrotherly practices the Lord from heaven will show his wrathful displeasure upon them all, for he will vindicate his honor and the honor and privileges of his people? Shall not he avenge his own Elect and that speedily? Luke 17.
And this shall suffice for answer to that impious cavil of my Brother Burton, and Hanserdo. Now for that instance that Master Knollys bringeth, it quite overthroweth their doctrine, for it is point bank against it and their practice. For although it be not denied, but that all true believers may at any time make their complaint to the Church, that is to say to those that are in authority in the Church; to wit, the Presbyters, as the extremist refuge upon just offense; yet it must ever be granted that it lieth in the breast of those that are Judges to determine of the business according to the allegations and probations, so that those that complain may not be both Plaintifs and Judges; this I say is so known a maxim that none can deny it. Besides, we must take notice that we never read inall the New Testament, that the disciples ever so much as questioned any that desired to be admitted into church fellow ship, or refused communion to any but Paul; & the reason was as the Scripture relateth, because they knew that he had been a mortal enemy unto them, and had been a great Persecutor, and were then ignorant of his conversion, and therefore it is said they were afraid of him; and upon the like occasion I believe any of the brethren in any church may do the same, and they may fear such an one, and suspect him, and complain of him, and that is all they can do, but power they have none to keep him out of Church-fellowship if upon the Ministers and Presbyters examining of the business they find that the man is a believer, and converted from his sinful courses; for by their sole authority without their good liking, or the consent of the people they may admit him into church fellowship; and if the people should refuse to receive him upon his assaying to join himself with them, he may appeal from them to the Presbyters and Ministers who are God's Stewards, and who have the power of the Keys to open the door of the church to whom they conceive are fit: and for this his so doing, and for the Presbyters accepting of his appeal they have the Apostles and Presbyters of Jerusalem for an example; for when the Disciples feared Paul, and seemed to be unwilling to admit him into communion with them: He forth with appeals to the Apostles, who upon his appeal admitted him into church fellowship according to their commission, which was, that whosoever believed and was baptized, he should be received into the church and that without the consent of the people, or any of those conditions the Independents now impose upon their Members, as by this very example and instance of Mr. Knollys doth abundantly appear, which makes wholly against their doctrine and practice, and utterly overthrows their tenent: for most certain it is that the power of admitting of Members, and casting out of offenders lies in those men's hands only and solely that have the power of the Keys, and are by God himself made Stewards and Over-seers, and Guids of his Church his house, which when they peculiarly belong unto the Presbyters, and not to the people, they only, and not the people ought to have the managing of the government of the church; and this hath been sufficiently proved by the receiving in of Members, both in an ordinary way, and in an extraordinary manner, by all the examples I have produced, and by this very instance of Saint Paul, alleged by Master Knollys himself, who when he was admitted into Church-fellowship, not only without the consent of the brethren, but against their good liking it is abundantly manifest, that the people have nothing to do with the government of the Church, but that it lieth wholly in the Presbyters hands. And all this I say is clearly proved out of the good Word of God, within the walls of the which, it is ever safe to abide, and in the action of obedience to the which all men may promise to themselves perpetual security: and this shall suffice to have answered to all that Mr. Knollys and my Brother Burton had to say to all my Arguments.
And by all that I have now spoke, I hope it doth sufficiently appear that there is neither precept nor example through all the Holy Scripture to warrant the practice of these men in the gathering of their new Churches; and if a man will but look a little more upon the practice of Christ's seventy disciples, & of all the Apostles in the gathering of Churches, they shall not find one footstep through the whole Book of God of the gathering Churches after the manner of their congregating of their assemblies: as for Christ's Disciples, they were all sent to gather in the lost sheep of the house of Israel, they went not to gather in converted men from amongst converted men, for they were to bring the lost sheep into Christ's fold (and we are taught there is but one Shepherd and one sheep-fold) we never read that after they were once folded and brought into the Church, that any true Pastors came into the fold and flocks of their fellow-shepherds; and picked out all the best and the fattest sheep, and the most wholesome, and molded them into an Independent Fold by themselves, as separate and distinct from the others, and with the which they would have no fellowship and communion in the Ordinances, this was never heard of before these days: Paul was so far from getting away of others sheep that he took it for a dishonor to him to build upon another's foundation, Rom. 15. and preached Christ in those places where they had never heard of him before; and planted the Church of Corinth himself, and left Apollo to water it, and committed all the flocks that he had gathered, as that of Ephesus, to the charge and care of faithful Pastors, and commands both the flocks and the Pastors, and in them all Shepherds and Folds, to keep unity and love one with another, Ephes. 4. verse 1, 2, 3, 4. &c. and forbids them to make separations and divisions, and schisms between flock and flock, and this method he used wheresoever he came; yea, as soon as he was converted and entered upon his ministry, as we may see in the first of the Galatians, he went into Arabia, and preached there among the poor Infidels, he got not other men's sheep from them, neither did he ever make any separation of sheep from sheep; yea, even in those flocks and churches, as that of Corinth, Galatia and Colossae, where there were many that walked disorderly and against the rules prescribed, and taught false doctrine and heresies, and made schisms in the Church, and were very scandalous, so that if ever there were in any Churches a just cause of making a separation, it was then; and yet the Apostles bid not the Christians separate themselves from the communion and assemblies of the Saints, and from the Ordinances for these men's causes, but only that they should look unto themselves, and examine their own consciences, that they may not offend, and so make themselves unworthy of the holy things, and gives them power to cast out the profane, but no way tolerates them to separate; only he bids them not be familiar with such as walk disorderly, that by this means they might learn to amend their lives, and tells them of what judgments have always happened to such as were wicked, and bids them by their example to take heed how they provoke God by the like, as it is at large set down in the tenth chapter, and commands them to make no separation but from Idolaters and Infidels: and so likewise in his Epistle to the Galatians, he says for his own particular, he could wish that they that troubled them were cut off, yet he biddeth not the Galatians to separate themselves into Independent congregations.
Nothing of all such things were taught before these days, that true believers and the faithful servants of God should separate from the Assemblies of their Brethren every way as dearly beloved of God as themselves, and such as with the twelve Tribes of Israel, serve their God night and day, and would suffer anything for the Gospel; and that anv Christians I say, should make separation from the fellowship of such, or that such should be accounted as en • mies of Christ, it was never heard of before our times; by which their so dealing, they have made the greatest schism in the Church that was ever yet made, to the scandal of our holy profession.
I have been ever taught in God's holy Word, that those faithful Ministers that preached Jesus Christ and him crucified, and opened the eyes of the blind, and turned them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ, and taught the people that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance; and that instructed all men that they being delivered out of the hands of their enemies, they should serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of their life, and teaching them that the grace of God bringing salvation, hath appeared to all men, for this very end that they should deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God of our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. I say I have been ever taught by God's Holy Word, to believe that those Ministers that instruct the people to do all these things, and where the people by faith embrace and receive this doctrine, are the true Ministers of Jesus Christ, & those congregations under them the church of Jesus Christ, and of his sheepfold, and that Christ in all such congregations is set up as King in his Throne, as who rules in the hearts of his people, and the which are swayed and guided by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit, and deserve none of those contumelious languages the brethren asperse both Ministers and people with.
Of the Ministers they thus speak and print, That they deny, disclaim and preach against Christ's Kingly government over men's consciences and Churches, so that such a conversion (as is wrought by them) comes not home to whole Christ; and such with their converters do deny Christ's Kingly government; or at least and best they are converted but in part, and that main thing is wanting, to wit, Christ's Kingly office; and of all the people and Christian believers through the Kingdom that are not in their congregations and new gathered Assemblies, they speak and print thus: We (say the brethren, the Independent Ministers) exhort them to set up Christ King in their hearts: We exhort them to become and profess to be those Saints, of whom Christ is King; for he is King of Saints, Revel. 15. 3. but they will not believe us (say they) they will not depend upon Christ as the only Law▪giver and King over their consciences: Now what would you have us to do in this case? (say they) baptize the Infants of such Parents as will not in this respect profess nor confess Christ to be their King? Why▪ do you not know (say they) that no Infants have any title to Baptism▪ that are not within the Covenant visibly? and how are they within the Covenant visibly, but by virtue of their Parents faith outwardly professed? and what outward profession of faith is there in the Parents that refuse Christ for their only King? that are ashamed or afraid to profess to be in Covenant with Christ, as their King? if therefore the Parents profess not, yea, refuse thus to be in visible Covenant, can the children be said to be in visible Covenant, and so to have a right in Baptism, the external seal of the covenant? here is an obex, a bar put. These are their own words, which I have set down at large; the sum of them briefly is this; that all the Ministers of the church of England that are not of their fraternity, do deny, disclaim and preach against Christ's Kingly Government over men's consciences and churches; and that all the people under their Ministry are men unconverted, or at least converted but in part, wanting the main thing, to wit, Christ's Kingly office; men visibly out of the Covenant of grace, who have not so much as an outward profession of faith, who deny Christ to be their King; to whose persons and infants the very Sacraments and seals of grace, with all church communion, may and ought to be denied.
Another of the Independents, amongst many of the contumelious and disgraceful speeches he uttereth out against the Ministers of the church of England, calling them the blackcoats in the Synod, who, he is afraid, will prove more cruel Taskmasters than their Fathers the Bishops, who cowardly sit at home, and in his apprehension, for no other end but to breed faction and division amongst the well affected to the Parliament, promoting their own interest, which (saith he) is laziness, pride, covetousness and domination, and amongst many such expressions as these, he proclaims them the sworn enemies of Jesus Christ: and desiring that the Parliament may be put in mind of their Covenant, for he thinks they have sworn to root out Popery: he tells them they have established Tythes the very root and support of Popery which he doth humbly conceive is a contradiction to their Covenant, and which will be a greater snare than the Common-Prayer to many of the precious consciences of God's people, whose duty it is in his judgment, to die in a prison before they act or stoop unto so dishonorable a thing as this is, to their Lord and Master, as to maintain the black-coats with tithes, whom they look upon as the professed enemies of their anointed Christ, &c.
These are some of his formal expressions, I leave the comment of these several passages to others: neither do I rehearse innumerable such like sentences as are daily vented, to the intolerable disgrace, both of all the Ministers of the Church of England, and of all those believing Christians that are under their several charges, and that in every Pamphlet in the which they proclaim all the Ministers to be the sworn and professed enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ, and such as deny, disclaim and preach against Christ's kingly government over men's consciences and churches; and for the people and believers in England, they proclaim them to be men unconverted, or at least converted but in part, wanting the main thing, Christ's Kingly office; men visibly out of the covenant of grace, who have not so much as an outward profession of the faith; who deny Christ to be their King, to whose persons and Infants the very Sacraments and seals of grace, with all church▪communion, may and ought to be denied, &c.
By the which words, they not only unchurch all the congregations of England, Scotland, Ireland, but indeed all the reformed churches, and unchristian all Christians but those that are in their own independent assemblies, and account them as aliens and strangers from the common-wealth of the Saints, and make Christ to be no King over them, or to have any Kingdom in or amongst them, but only amongst themselves in their new congregations: whereas Christ ever had a church or Kingdom upon earth in all ages before they were, and hath without all controversy a true Kingdom in many churches in these our days, where they are not. Had I not seen their expressions in print, and the Book in which they are uttered, set forth by authority with approbation, I should not have believed that they had all of them been so uncharitable; but finding that book not only printed by license, but generally applauded by them all and much magnified, as the frequent editions of it do manifest, I gather, it is the universal opinion of them all. Than the which, what could be more uncharitably and unchristianly spoken? what comfort can any of the Ministers of the Church of England have in the society of these men, who (whatsoever outward seeming favor they show to them) in their hearts conceive of them as the sworn enemies of Christ and his Kingdom, and as men unworthy to live, and who count it a dishonorable thing to their Lord and Master, to maintain those black-coats with tithes, whom they look on as the professed enemies of their anointed Christ? can I say, any Ministers with joy and alacrity converse with these men? no surely; what real comfort can any poor Christian believers through the Kingdom either expect or look for at these men's hands if they were in their power, whom they declare (and that in print, and in their Pulpits) to be men unconverted, or converted but in part, wanting the main thing, Christ's Kingly office, men visibly out of the covenant of grace, who have not so much as an outward profession of faith, who deny Christ to be their King; to whose persons and Infants the very Sacraments and seals of grace, with all church-communion, may and ought to be denied? can any true Christians be real friends to the enemies of Christ? He (saith Saint Paul, 1 Cor. chap. 16. v. 22.) that loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathama Maranatha; will any true Christians bless those that God hath cursed? David said, I hate them that hate thee, yea, I hate them with a perfect hatred.
And surely those that are true friends to Christ, hate all his enemies; now they look upon our Ministers as the professed enemies of Christ, and upon all the people under their ministry as enemies of his Kingdom, and as men to whose persons & infants the very Sacraments and seals of grace, with all church-communion, may and ought to be denied (they are their own words) can they therefore expect any real friendship from them, whatsoever outward courtesy they seem to show them? no doubtless; how can any poor Christian have any delight to come amongst these men, or so much as to be in their society, whom they account of as the enemies of Christ and his Kingdom? For my own particular, I would not willingly come in any man's company, or be familiar with any that I thought a professed enemy of Christ and his Kingdom, neither should I ever believe I could have any real esteem from such as think me an enemy of Christ and his Kingdom.
It was the greatest calamity to the poor sufferers under the Prelates tyranny, and to all those distressed Christians that were hailed into the High-commission court, or into the Star-chamber, or before the Counsel-table for matter of Religion and conscience (which was the lot of many thousands through the whole Kingdom) that commonly their greatest enemies were those of their own house; their parents, their brethren and sisters would be the chiefest calumniators and reproachers of them, and that in word and deed would most despitefully persecute them, denying them the common humanity of hospitality, and would not so much as look on them, except it were to revile them and insult over them, and would ordinarily join with their enemies both privately and publicly, and desert them in their greatest straits, as all of them can generally witness, which not only encouraged their enemies against them, but added credit to their false acculations and calumnies; for they would usually say, ye may see what manner of men these are, whose nighest friends are not only ashamed of, but thus speak of them; which was a greater affliction unto them than all the other miseries and sufferings they under-went; for had they been their professed enemies, as David said, they could easily have endured it, and there would less credit and regard have been given to their words; but they were their parents, brethren, sisters and familiars, and therefore it added more sharply to their affliction: So had they been our professed enemies as Papists, Socinians, Arminians, or those of the Prelatical faction that should have proclaimed us enemies of Christ and his Kingdom, and had they denied unto us and our children the seals of grace, with all church-communion, it would not have troubled us; but tu Brute! that Brethren, that fellow-sufferers in affliction, that had gone up to the house of God together, and had taken sweet counsel together; that they should now proclaim us the enemies of Jesus Christ, and deny communion with us; oh let not this be spoken in Gath and Ashkelon!
This is that that grieves and sads the hearts of their brethren more then all their former afflictions, and gives a great advantage to the common enemy, and scandalizes the Gospel, and exposes both themselves and us to the scorn of the Malignants, who ordinarily jeer and say, see those holy Brethren that lost their ears together, are now together by the cares, and count one of another as a company of Infidels, and disclaim all holy communion one with another, and will not so much as admit of their children to baptism, or suffer them to receive the Sacraments with them.
But this is that that makes all men wonder, to hear them proclaim all the Ministers of the Church of England, to be such as deny, disclaim, and preach against Christ's Kingly government, when it is apparently evident, both by all their preachings and writings, and all their practices, that they ever advance Christ's Kingly government as really as any of those that oppose them, who in preaching up the Kingly office of Christ, and setting Christ upon his Throne, are inferior to none of them in this work: For we are taught out of God's Word, that those Ministers set up Christ in his Throne, that open the eyes of the blind, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ, and that teach men to repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance; and when the people that hear them give themselves first to the Lord and upto his Ministers by the will of God, and after denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.
And this, the Word of God teacheth us, is to set up Christ upon his Throne; and those Ministers that teach all these things, set up Christ upon his Throne, and those people that embrace this doctrine, make Christ their King, as we may see 2 Cor. chap. 8. ver. 5. Tit. 2. verse 12. For Christ sits as King upon his Throne when he is believed in to be that horn of salvation, that was raised up for us in the house of David, that has saved and delivered all that believe in him, out of the hands of all their enemies both spiritual and bodily, that they may serve him without fear, and when Christ rules in all their hearts by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit, and when they own him as their only Law-giver, and acknowledge him to be the only King in his Church, and the Savior of all those that truly believe in him; and this is to set up Christ upon his Throne, and the brethren themselves accord unto this.
Now when the Ministers of England teach this doctrine, in their preachings and writings, how can they be truly said to deny, disclaim and preach against Christ's Kingly government, over men's consciences and Churches? and how can that people be said truly to deny Christ's Kingly government who do both believe and to the uttermost of their power practice this doctrine and follow only the guidance of his holy Spirit and Word, both for doctrine and government, who is King of the Church? whether therefore this be not an unjust and unchristian calumny, laid both upon the Ministers and people of the church of England, I leave it to the consideration of any moderate minded Christian! doubtless all charitable minded Christians if they consider all things aright, will not think so dishonourably neither of the Ministers of England not of the people under their Ministry; for they deserve not to be accounted the professed enemies of Christ, who are freed from that heavy accusation by Christ's own testimony; who when it was related unto him by Saint John, Mark 9. ver. 38. That they had seen one casting out devils in his name, which followed them not, and that the Disciples had forbad him because he did not follow them: Our Savior Christ replying, forbid him not, saith he, for whosoever is not against us is on our part.
Now these Ministers that open the eyes of the blind, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, they cannot be esteemed enemies of Christ, and to be against Christ but for him, and ought highly to be honored for their works sake 1 Thess. chap. 5. ver. 13. and singularly, to be beloved, and deserve not to be maligned and reproached, especially by brethren who owe all their conversions next unto God, to their Ministry; yea, both the Pastors and people of all the new congregated churches are beholding unto them for their conversion; for they admit none into their Assemblies but believers, and they were made believers and converted by their Ministry; and therefore they are friends of Christ and not his enemies, and they ought all of them to look upon them as their Fathers, and on the church of England as their Mother, and on the believers of England as their brethren, and ought not thus unchristianly and ungratefully to cast dirt in all their faces.
Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians, chap. 1. hath these words, Some saith he, preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of good will; the one preach Christ of contention and not sincerely, thinking to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love: What then? notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence or in truth Christ be preached, I therein do rejoice, yea, and I will rejoice. Saint Paul speaks here of such as preach pure doctrine, though not with a pure mind, and was glad that Christ was preached, and counts them not the enemies of Christ, as he did the false teachers among the Galatians, who joined the ceremonial law and their own inventions with the Gospel, and therefore he wisht that they were cut off; but in this place he rejoices that Christ and the Gospel were purely preached, though it were of envy.
Now when the Ministers of the Church of England, do not only preach the Gospel purely, but of sincerity and of love, and mingle not their own traditions and inventions with the Gospel, but follow their commission; how can any men without intolerable injustice proclaim them the enemies of Jesus Christ, and make them odious to the people under the name of Presbyterians, whom they persuade all men, that they will prove more cruel Taskmasters then the Prelates? yea and they have generally possessed the people with so prejudicate an opinion of them all, as if they would more lord it over them than ever the Bishops did, and causelessly have moved the people to hate the name of Presbytery: And notwithstanding they themselves pretend they contend for the ancient Presbytery, and by this make themselves Presbyterians as well as the other: What justice or equity then is there in their dealing, to make their brethren odious to the world for endeavoring to set up a Presbytery after God's Word, when they themselves are Presbyterians, and labor to set up a Presbytery of their own? and therefore if the name of Presbyters be odious in the Ministers of the Church of England, no reason can gainsay it, but that they also should be as odious to the people as their brethren, for they also are Presbyterians. But that the truth may the better appear, whether the Ministers of the Church of England, or the Independent Ministers, be most guilty of all the accusations laid to their charge, it will not be a miss to compare the practice of the Ministers of the church of England and the proceedings of the Independent Ministers together, and that both for their doctrine and discipline, and in their several studies and endeavors, for the advancing of Christ's Kingdom; and by so doing it will be easy for any to judge, which of their governments and which of the Ministers are more intolerable, and which of them are most guilty of those foul reproaches the Ministers of the church of England are aspersed with by their Brethren; for he hath a shallow understanding and a very dim sight that cannot discern, whether those that advance Christ's their Kings Word and Laws only, and follow his commission and the example of the holy Apostles in their Ministries, and that of John Baptist and the primitive Preachers, or those that set up their own inventions and prefer them before the Laws of Christ, and have neither precept nor president for their doings in all the holy Word of God: He I say, that cannot judge which of these most advance Christ for their King, either those that obey Christ's Laws, or those that observe their own, neglecting Christ's, is of a very shallow capacity.
But now let us compare them together; the Ministers of the Church of England preach faith and repentance, the Law and the Gospel, according to Christ's commission given to his Apostles, and they receive all into the Church that believe and are baptized, and such as but desire to be admitted, they demanding of them what they should do to be saved; and in their so doing they have both precept and presidents: For Christ in his commission unto them hath given them authority so to do.
Neither did he ever say unto his Apostles and Ministers, admit none into the church, although they believe and are baptized, without they walk with you some days weeks, months or years, that you may behold their conversation and manner of life, and after you have had some trial and experience of them, see then that they make a public confession of their faith before the church and give in the evidences of the truth of their conversion before the congregation, and enter into a private and solemn Covenant and be admitted by the consent and approbation of the Church; or otherwise, if they will not submit themselves to this Law, and come into the Church upon these conditions, receive them not into your Assemblies, nor admit of them for members.
Here is nothing of all this in Christ's Commission, nor in his holy Word, nor any president of the same in sacred Authority; and therefore John the Baptist and the holy Apostles and primitive Ministers admitted all that came unto them, and such as but demanded of them what they should do to be saved; and baptized them and received them into the Church without any gainsaying or question; as we may see in the third of Luke, and in the seventh chapter of the same book, and in the second of the Acts; and no sooner did the Eunuch desire baptism, but Philip granted it; the Goaler did but ask Paul and Silas, What they should do to be saved, and they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house; and it is related that the Goaler and all his were straight way baptized, Acts 16. verse. 31, 32, 33. that is, they were forthwith admitted into the Church, without either walking any time with the Church for their approbation, or without either making a public confession of their faith before the Church, or giving in evidences of the truth of their conversion to the congregation, or entering into a private covenant, and without the consent and allowance of the Church.
And Christ notwithstanding was embraced by them as their Lord and King, and was preached by Paul and Silas, as the Lord and King of his Church, and was set up upon his Throne as King by them, as well as he is in any Independent Churches, and yet they had none of all their new borne truths, and they could then see how to set up Christ upon his Throne without their new lights; and as Christ was then by Paul and Silas and the other Apostles set upon his Throne as King in all those primitive Churches, so he is at this day in all the true Protestant Churches through the world, as well as in any of the Independent Assemblies, and yet they were and are all ignorant of their new way; so that any understanding Christian may gather, that all their new borne truths are no way requisite for the setting up of Christ as King in his Church, nor for the advancement of Christ's Kingly government; for if they had, Christ would have put them into the Apostles Commission, and the Apostles who were led into all truth by the holy Ghost, who brought whatsoever Christ had taught them concerning the Kingdom of God (Act. 1.) into their memories, would have suggested all these things, The new way, the new borne truth, the new lights to them, that they might have been recorded, if they had been necessary for the setting up of Christ upon his Throne; but when neither Christ nor the holy Ghost, nor the blessed Apostles have prescribed any of all these to the church, nor called for them, nor required them of any that desire to be saved or made Members of the church; whether this be not a great temerity in any men, to preach all these things as the laws of Christ, I leave it to the judgment of any ingenuous minded Christian? and whether this be not to prefer their own inventions and traditions before the commandments of God and the laws of Christ the King of his church, and whether this be not rather to set up themselves than Christ, I refer it also to any judicious and impartial Christians to weigh and consider.
I shall now demand of any moderate Christian therefore, and let him answer me candidly, whether of those Ministers and people most advance the Kingdom of Christ, and acknowledge him to be their only Lord and Law-giver, that both in their teaching and believing follow his commission and Word, and teach nothing nor believe nothing (as they are enjoined) but what Christ their King commands them? or those, that to the commission and commands of Christ add their own inventions and traditions, and prefer them before the laws of Christ the King and Law giver of his Church? I am confident, if he will deal impartially, he will answer me, that those Ministers and that people most advance Christ for their King, and most set him upon his Throne, that own his Law, and that only, for the rule of their faith and obedience; for Christ himself hath said it, John 10. My Sheep hear my voiyce, they will not listen unto the voice of a stranger; Christ's voice only the King of his Church is to be heard, and they only that obey it advance him for their King and set him up on his Throne, which when the Ministers and Believers in the Church of England do, and the Independents do not, they more advance Christ for their King than they; for the Independents to Christ's Law and Commission add their own traditions and inventions, and enjoin all that will be admitted as Members into their congregations, besides their believing and being baptized, to walk with them some time for approbation, and to make a public confession of their faith before the Church, and to bring in the evidences of the truth of their conversion, and enter into a private and solemn Covenant, and not to be admitted as members without the consent of the Church, all which Christ the King of his church never commanded; and those that will not submit themselves to these their traditions, they will not permit or suffer to enter into their church as joined members, which they call the only true Churches of Christ, and count of all others that differ from them, as enemies of Christ and his Kingdom, and as men without the covenant: and if this be to set up Christ upon his Throne, then the Pharisees set up Christ upon his Throne, who preferred their own traditions before the commandments of God; yea, the Pope himself and the Prelates set up Christ upon his Throne, who preferred their own traditions and idolatries before the Laws of Christ.
Now if all the traditions of the Papists were justly abhorred and cast out of the church as things de • ogatory to the Kingly and Prophetical dignity of Jesus Christ, and as things repugnant to his Royalty: I see no reason but all other popery under whatsoever name or title it be intruded upon the people should be eliminated and cast out of the church; and whether this be not a new kind of Popery, to bring in new ways, and new borne truths, and new lights, and impose them upon the people as the commands of God, and to excommunicate and unchurch all churches in the world but their own assemblies, I refer myself to the judgment of any intelligible Christian. Saint Paul writing to the Galatians, blames those false Teachers amongst them, that would have joined but the ceremonial Law with the Gospel, and calls it a perverting of the Gospel of Christ, and wishes that such Teachers were cut off, Gal. 5. v. 12. and blames likewise those Galatians that received their doctrine, saying, Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? and yet they only urged the ceremonial Law which God by Moses had appointed to remain till the fullness of time, but was now abrogated; they were not their own traditions, they were no new borne lights, no new ways, no new truths.
Now if Paul was so displeased, or God rather, with the Galatians, both teachers and hearers, the one for bringing in or joining the ceremonial Law to the Gospel, and the other for admitting of them, how highly would God have been displeased with them if they had set up their own inventions for the Laws of God, and had brought in new borne truths, and intruded them upon the people as necessary to salvation, and for the setting up of Christ upon his Throne? Without doubt the Apostle would most sharply have reproved them, and have given special caveats against them, as he did in his Epistle to the Colossians, the second chapter of the which is chiefly spent in condemning all human traditions; yea, in his first chapter of his Epistle to the Galatians, verse 8, 9. He chargeth them, that though the Apostles themselves, or an Angel from Heaven should preach unto them otherwise than that they had received, they should count him accursed; and as J said before, saith the Apostle, so say I now again, if any man preach unto you otherwise than that you have received, let him be accursed.
But none of the Apostles ever taught the Church, that Christians and believers, though baptized, should not be admitted as members into the Church, unless they had walked some time in church-fellowship with them, and had first made a public confession of their faith, and had brought in the evidences of the truth of their conversion, and entered into a solemn private covenant, and were admitted by the consent of the church; none of all this did ever the Apostles teach, or the Christians of those times embrace or believe, and therefore such doctrines as these ought not to be received.
In the first of the Corinthians in many places he reproves those that made schisms and brought in heresies and sects into the Church; and in the fourth chapter and sixth verse, under his own and Apollo's name, he sets an example before them, that they should contain themselves within the limits and bounds of that doctrine and manner of preaching, prescribed and set down in the Word of God, and used by the Spirit of God; and commands them that they should learn in the Apostles, not to presume or to be wise above that which is written, and enjoins all Christians to reject all ways of teaching that have not God's Word for their warrant: Now in all God's Word there is nothing of all this written, that after men believe and are baptized, they should not yet be admitted into the Church, without they had walked some time with them for their approbation, and without they had made a public confession of their faith before the congregation, and brought in the evidences of their true conversion, and had entered into a private covenant, and were admitted by the consent of the church; none of all this is written in God's Word, and therefore we ought not to embrace it.
And in the 2 of the Corinthians, c. 11▪ v. 4. the Apostle signifieth unto the Corinthians, that no man can teach the Gospel & the things of of heaven more exactly than he and the other Apostles have taught them, nor set before them a more perfect Doctrine of Jesus Christ than that that they have taught them, for the converting of any unto Christ, and for the setting up of Christ as King upon his Throne, and for the making of them Members of the Church, and for the building of them up in their most holy faith, and commands the Corinthians to take heed of all false Teachers, whatsoever piety and godliness they make show of, calling them deceitful workers, and such as transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ: And no marvel, saith he, for Sat an himself can transform himself into an Angel of light; and therefore it is no wonder his Ministers transform themselves, as though they were the Ministers of righteousness.
Now if men will consider what those false teachers were, we shall find them to be no other, but such as under show of holiness and piety taught their own inventions and grolleries, and abused the simplicity of the people for their own advantage, and brought them into bondage and devoured them, verse 20. as the Phatisees did the Widows houses, under pretence of their long prayers, which our Savior Christ sharply reproves them for, and denounces a woe against them for their so doing; after the same manner did these false Teachers amongst the Corinthians, who made their own traditions joined Members with the Gospel, as if they had had a more fine, neat & eleganter way of gathering of churches, and admitting of Members than Paul and the other Apostles: But the Apostle bids the Corinthians take heed of all such, how glorious soever they seem to appear, and tells them they cannot teach the way to Heaven and happiness better than he and the other Apostles have done; and yet neither Saint Paul or any of the Apostles in preaching of the Gospel taught them that they should admit of none to be joined Members of the Church, although they believed and were baptized, except they walked sometime in fellowship amongst them, that they might have approbation and trial of their conversation first, and after make a public confession of their faith before the church, and did give in evidences of the truth of their conversion to the congregation, and entered into a solemn private covenant, and were admitted Members by consent of the church.
Not a word of all this in the Gospel that Saint Paul and the other Apostles taught; and therefore all that teach their new ways, their new-borne truths, and set up their new lights, are wise above that which is written, and teach otherwise than Christ and his Apostles have taught, or the Christians of the Primitive times had received, and therefore ought by the Apostles command, Gal. 1. verse 8. 9. to be accursed. Saint John also in his second Epistle to the Elect Lady, verse 9, 10. saith, Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God; he that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son: If there come any unto you that bringeth not the doctrine of Christ, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed, is a partaker of his evil deeds.
Now the doctrine that the Independent Ministers teach for the gathering of churches and admitting of members, and joining and jumbling of them together, was never taught by Christ nor any of his Apostles; for they themselves confess it is a new way, and a new▪borne truth, and a new light, and therefore not the doctrine of Christ; and therefore such novelties are not to be entertained nor embraced, nor the teachers of them, if we will be obedient to Apostolical precepts: I desire therefore those of the Independent brethren to produce any one testimony, or any one president out of the Word of God, where these things following are taught or have been practiced.
First, that although men and women believe and are baptized, they are not yet to be admitted as joined Members till they have walked sometime in fellowship with the church for approbation of their conversation; this is the first thing; I desire of the brethren either a precept or an example for this in God's Word.
The second, where it is commanded that those that believe and are baptized should not be admitted as Members of the church, without a public confession of their faith before the church.
The third, where it is enjoined, that to their Faith and Baptism, they should bring in the evidences of the truth of their conversion before they can be capable of their membership.
The fourth, where it is commanded that they should enter into a solemn and private covenant before they can be admitted to church-fellowship.
The fifth, where it is imposed upon those that believe and are baptized, that they should not be received into the church without the consent of the congregation.
Sixthly, where it is commanded that the Ministers of the Gospel shall run about from their own places and charges into the sheepfolds of their fellow-shepherds, and separate and pick out all their best sheep and bring them into their own folds, and debar them from all church-fellowship and communicating with the other believers in God's holy Ordinances and Sacraments; or where ever it is commanded that the Preachers of the Gospel shall gather believing Christians from among believing Christians, and separate them from the other sheep, into Independent congregations, and shall proclaim all that are not thus molded up after this new model, to be people out of covenant, and to have no right to the seals of the new covenant, neither they nor their children, though believers.
All these things I desire the brethren by evident places of the holy Scripture to make good and to confirm, or by any president or example to declare to have been practiced either by Christ or his blessed Apostles; for I look for a law from Christ the King of his church, who was as faithful in the house of God as Moses was, and hath not left the ordering and disposing of his church to the will of men, but hath commanded the church to hear his voice, who is the great Pastor and Bishop of our souls, and the teacher of his church; his Word therefore I look for, for a warrant for the ratifying of all these doctrines; and I have good ground and reason to demand of them a warrant and authority out of God's Word for what they both teach and practice; for we are taught by Christ the only Prophet of his church, that they that serve God after the precepts of men, offer him a vain worship: and it stands with all good reason, that if all human traditions, though of never so ancient standing, and of never so long antiquity were all cast out of the church, because they had no footing or ground in God's Word, that all novelties or new inventions of men (which notwithstanding are imposed upon the people as the ways of God) should be abrogated and nullified and cast out of the church.
It is recorded in holy writ, Joshua 9. that the Gibeonites deceived Joshua and the people of Israel, under pretence that they came from a far country, and for proof of that they produced their mouldy bread, and their tattered botles and their old shoes, and they taking what they said, pro confess, and not consulting with the mouth of the Lord (as it is fully related in that chapter) were deceived by them, and entered into a League with their enemies: And thus the Papists and Prelates, for these many hundred years, have deluded the world, under pretence of their mouldy antiquities and tattered rags of traditions, and in all this time they prevailed to mislead the poor people, because they consulted not with the mouth of God, nor examined things by the Word of God and the holy Scripture, as the noble Bereans did.
Now whatsoever was written, was written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the world are come; and therefore as it was the error of the Israelites that they received things barely upon report, without consulting with the mouth of God; and as it was the honor and praise of those noble Bereans, that they searched the Scriptures to see whether the preaching of Paul were according to the holy Scripture: so if we shall receive these new borne truths, these new lights, these new ways without consulting with the living Oracles, we shall offend as the Israelites did in believing the Gibeonites upon their words, and shall degenerate and be unlike to those the renowned Bereans, who would not receive Paul's doctrine, though an Apostle, without searching the Scriptures, whether things were so or no, as he taught them: and surely now much more ought we to try all things by the Word in these erroneous times, whosoever they be that preach them unto us, and if they be not evidently proved unto us out of the Scriptures, we may not admit of them; for it will be not only a sin, but for our immortal shame to be deluded with novelties▪ much more then it was our ancestors disgrace to be deceived by pretended antiquities.
And therefore it is the duty of every Christian seriously to consider with themselves, that these are matters of God, and concern no less then our eternal welfare; and in th •• regard, we may not call men's ways, God's ways, but we are to seek for the old ways, Jer. 6 we are to examine Christ's and his holy Apostles ways in gathering of Churches and making of Members, and it we find no footstep in all God's Word of these new ways, we ought to relinquish them and turn again into the paths that God hath commanded us to walk in, wherein we shall be sure to find rest for our souls and comfort in life and death, and it will be no disgrace to any to be undeceived; for they are deceived, and that greatly and dangerously, that think or believe, that any men mortal can show or teach a better way to Heaven, or set down a better way of converting souls and of gathering of Churches, and making of Members, and of setting up Christ as King upon his Throne, than that which Christ himself and his blessed Apostles have taught and set down to all posterity; and from the which rule we ought not to swerve, though an Angel from Heaven should teach us otherwise, Galatians 1. ver. 8. 9.
When therefore the Ministers of the Church of England follow Christ's and his Apostles way and method in their teaching and for the converting of men and hear only the voice of Christ their King, and the Christian Believers through the Kingdom under their Ministries, do all faithfully cleave unto the written Word and square both their faith and obedience according to that rule; there is no just cause why the Independents should proclaim them all enemies of Christ and his Kingdom, and such as oppose his royalty; and preach up themselves and their congregations as the only people of God and his Saints, and account all those that dissent from them as opposers of Christ's government, telling the people in their Sermons, that they come over from beyond the seas, thinking that they would have set up Christ upon his Throne, and that they would have embraced him for their King, and would have established his government, and have gone on in a church-way, and have set up the ways of God; but they find it otherwiise, that they deny & disclaim and preach against Christ's Kingly government, and persecute the ways of the Lord Christ; so that they can find more favor from moderate Papists and common Protestants than from them, by which their dealing, say the Brethren, they have so taken off the edge of God's people's affection from them, that the Saints and servants of God cannot pray for them, proclaiming themselves the Saints and people of God, as if all the other believers through the Kingdom dissenting from them in their opinions, were no Saints nor people of God.
Nay, they affirm it in their Pulpits, and in every Pamphlet, that both Ministers and people are enemies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom, and all such as will not join with them in their new ways: And one of them not long since affirmed unto me, that the church of England was a Strumpet and an arrant Whore, and that she being once a Whore, could never be presented unto Christ as a chaste Spouse: which was an expression not only uncivil and unbeseeming a Christian, but untrue also; for grant she had been so, she is now come out of Babylon, and has entered into a public covenant against her; and we read of Judah, and Samaria, howsoever they had defiled themselves and played the Harlots, yet upon their unfeigned repentance and true faith in Jesus Christ, and renewing their covenant publicly of new obedience, were presented unto Christ as a chaste Spouse, so that what is impossible with man is possible with God.
But this is the general opinion of the brethren, and howsoever they will not all of them speak it out in plain words, as some of them do, yet they preach and practice a separation from all our assemblies and congregations, as from a people not to be communicated with, and declare that by their deeds, which they will not as yet publish in their writings, nor in express words as he did.
And one of the Independent Ministers not long since, denouncing God's judgments against all those that would not assent unto their new ways, nor light their candles at their new lights, nor embrace their new-borne truths, told them, that by their standing out against the ways of God (for so they suppose these are) and by their unkind usage of the Saints, and persecuting of them, they would at last drive from amongst them the praying people (meaning themselves, as if no other prayed but they only) and then they might look that the judgments of God would speedily come down upon them, as it happened to the Lutherans in Maydenburge in Germany, who thrust out all the Calvinists out of their Town, a praying people, and immediately after, the enemy came upon them with fire and sword and destroyed them all.
With these and such like expressions are their preachments stuffed, and to say the truth of many of their Sermons, they are like Tailors cushions, consisting of a hundred several shreds of various colors, all independent, making a fine show, but comely nowhere but in a Tailors shop: and surely such kind of expressions as these are may beseem their Pulpits, but no grave and learned honest ministers: for they have no just cause to complain of persecution amongst us, it is a calumny; neither deal they christianly with us, to accuse us that we oppose the ways of God, for we do not so; we only contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints, and against the ways of Men, and such as were brought into the Church by the cunning craftiness of some, and thrust upon the people as the Laws and Ordinances and ways of God, when they are but their own inventions, and tend to no edification, but to the trouble and disturbance of Church and State, and such as already have brought a confusion upon us all, and if the Lord do not speedily from Heaven send his helping hand, we can expect nothing but desolation, and all from these divisions, that their new ways have brought in, and therefore it is high time for all good Christians and such as love the peace of Zion, more exactly to examine all these new ways; and to put them upon the proof of them.
But that the Brethren should complain of persecution amongst us, and of evil usage, it is against all reason and humanity, and showeth little gratitude in them to all the Christians both thorough city and country; for if they remember when they came over, though they had deserted the cause when they had most need of them, they were more honored then any of those famous and learned Ministers that had undergone the labor and heat of the day, and they were preferred before them all, and settled in the prime Lectures of the Kingdom, and had more honorable maintenance then was usually given to any Lecturers before them; and therefore they deal not brotherly in any of all their proceedings, nor humanely so to asperse them as they ordinarily do both publicly and privately.
I am confident there is not such a president in the world of humanity as that shown here to them; it is well known, and their books & practices declare it, that they preach new ways, new-born truths, as they call them, and set up new lights: Now where was it ever heard of either in the Christian or Pagan world, that it was ever permitted unto any Ministers or Preachers to have all the Pulpits in any nation to preach a diverse doctrine, to that which is set up by authority, and such as tends to make a faction and division amongst the people? I do most assuredly believe that there cannot the like president be produced.
Amongst the Heathen, the Jewish Religion in many countries was tolerated; but they were confined to their own Synagogues, they might not come in the Heathens Pulpits to preach up the Jewish worship amongst them or to set up another service contrary to the custom of the Nation: It was an abomination to the Egyptians that the Jews should sacrifice in their land, they would not have suffered them then to have preached up their Religion in all their Pulpits.
In Turkey at this day Christians in many places have the liberty of their consciences amongst themselves, and have their places for worship to assemble in; but they are not so much as permitted to come into their Temples, much less to preach up their Religion in their Pulpits.
In France the Protestants are permitted to preach, but it is only in such places as are appointed for them, they may not preach in Popish Pulpits, tha • is not permitted unto them.
In the Low-Countries there is liberty of conscience, which they so much plead for (of which afterwards) and yet the divers sects that are there, are not suffered to preach out of those places assigned unto them, or to preach publicly in any of their Pulpits against the Religion established by authority, neither are they permitted to unchristian them or unchurch them, and publicly and in print to proclaim them enemies of Christ's government; and if any should dare attempt such a thing, or go about to disgrace their Ministers and Church-government, or in the least intrench upon the Magistrates authority, they would be made sly like lightning before thunder.
And yet the b • ethren • mong us have the liberty of all the Pulpits th • o • h the kingdom without control, and vent all their new ways and their new borne truths▪ and setup their new lights without any mo • estation, and have all respectful usage and the only esteem of the peo • le, and are more followed than all our learned godly and painful orthodox Ministers, and yet they cry out of persecution, and unchurch and unchristian us all, and proclaim both Ministers and people all enemies of christ and his Kingdom, and count of us little better than of Infidels, and keep our children from Baptism, and debar us from Communion with them▪ and exercise a kind of absolute Lordship over all their brethren, so as Diotrephes never did the like, nor the Pope mo • e, and yet they cry out of persecution against the aints, and lay odious asp •• ions upon their brethren and fellow. Presbyters, persuading the people that the Presbyterian way will be as bad or worse then tha • of the Prelates.
But if we as duly examine the manner of the Independent government, and compare it with the Presbyterian, as we have done the manner of their preaching with theirs we shall find there is little reason why they should so vilipend the Presbyterian and magnify their own, and why they should make it so hateful and odious to the people; laying aside therefore all p • ejudice, let us examine things with deliberation, and then it will be soon evident, that the Presbyterian government is not as bad or worse than that of the Prelates nor so lordly as that of the Independent government which is also Presbyterian, and they as well Presbyters as their brethren.
It is well known that the Prelates assumed and arrogated unto themselves to be the only Pastors of their Dioceses▪ and ruled all the Ministers and people under them by their own authority and spoiled all both Ministers and people, and the several congregations under them of their liberty, and made them all both Ministers and people their vassals and slaves, and from whose • ourts there was no appeal: Whereas the Presbyterian manner of government is not as that of Lord's and Masters o • er Subjects and Servants, but social as between equals, between brethren, friends and colleagues, who all judge & are all • judged according to the Word of God, where no congregation is above another congregation, no Minister is above another Minister, but only for order-sake, where every Presbyter is left to enjoy the whole office of a Presbyter, and each congregation to the freedom of a congregation, and what belongs unto them, and they able to perform it, and the classes to corroborate and strengthen them.
And if any man be wronged by the Presbytery, he may have the benefit of his Appeal, and be cleared by more righteous Judges (a course ever followed by the Churches, and agreeable to the light of nature) so that I say, if men would without a prejudicate opinion weigh and consider all things, and compare the government of the Prelates with that of the Presbyterian, they would speedily be undeceived. And again, if they would compare the Presbyterian Government Dependent with the Presbyterian Government Independent, they would have more honorable thoughts of the one, and a less esteem of the other; for in the Presbyterian Government Independent, they exercise a kind of absolute power and sovereignty amongst themselves in every of their several Churches or Congregations; so that if two or three of the Presbyters be malicious or self willed, or corrupt or heretical, as it happens many times, and by their learning or eloquence, or great abilities of wit and scholarship, or by their wealth or power, the congregation perhaps consisting of many poor people, and it may be ignorant, who a • e relieved by them, and whose favor they dare not so feit, if they prevailing with the major part of the congregation (as commonly the poor people are like a company of wild Geese, who which way soever their their leader flies they all follow) I say, if they do once deliver a man to Satan, and will not by any art of persuasion be induced to reverse their un • ighteous sentence, the innocent and wronged man must live under this doom all the days of his life without any remedy, and must be held by all the Churches of Christ (that are after that new model to whom their sentence is given notice of, as an excommunicated person and shunned accordingly; they have no power to absolve or help him, and from which he hath no benefit or appeal.
And this that I now speak, there is not any of the brethren that is well verst in the grounds of that kind of government, that either will or can deny it: And this rigor to my knowledge both in the low Countries in the several congregations of the English there, and in some here in England among us was the cause of making so many several sects; for when they were cast out of one congregation, for some particular opinion, in the which they differed from them, the other Churches and Congregations of the same mould and profession could not absolve them, nor durst not receive them into Church-fellowship with them, without an attestation from the Church out of which they were excommunicated, of their Christian walking amongst them, or until they had g ven satisfaction to that Church of which they had been Members, and that they would never be brought unto conceiving that the wrong was theirs who complained as unjustly excommunicated, neither would they relinquish their opinion, as being persuaded it was grounded upon the Word of God; whereupon they finding others of their own opinion joined themselves into a new society and congregation, and had a peculiar Church by themselves; and this hath been one of the chiefest causes of all these rents and divisions we now see everywhere; for when they are upon every slight occasion, or for any difference in opinion cast out, then they congregate a new Church by themselves, and turn Pastors.
The which, blessed be God, in the reformed churches of France and Germany, hath not yet been seen since the first reformation; for the governing of Churches by the Common-council of their Presbyters, where they find such brotherly dealing, and where they have their appeals upon any conceived wrong or injury, and have right and justice done them, makes them willingly submit themselves to that manner of government, without making rents and schisms: And truly if things were but maturely weighed, all men would readily perceive that there is no just ground of reproach to belaid upon the Presbyters, neither would they see any reason, why, in way of disdain, the Ministers of the Church of England should be more called Presbyterians than the Independent Ministers; for they also are Presbyterians, and labor to set up a Presbyterian Government as well as the other, and profess in their writings that they contend for the ancient Presbytery, so that they also are Presbyterians as well as the other; and if the one be made hateful and formidable to the people, in the judgment of all solid men, the other also may be made as odious and hateful; for if that odium and hatred they bring upon the Presbytery, be for the only fear they have conceived the Presbyters will lord it too much over them and that only I say, be the occasion that so terrifies the people from that government; let all men here consider and compare each kind of Presbytery together, both that of the Dependent and that of the Independent; for if the Independent Presbyters in the infancy and very first beginning and rise of their government assume unto every several congregation and Presbytery of theirs, an absolute kind of sovereignty and jurisdiction from which there is no appeal, and if they all • eady take upon them to unchurch all Churches but their own, and proclaim all the Ministers and people, but those of their own congregations, professed enemies of Christ's Kingdom; what would they do if they were once established by authority in their several Jurisdictions and Assemblies? and if now they will admit of none into their several Assemblies, though never so eminent believers, but upon their own conditions, and unless they will be admitted members upon such terms as they propound, without either precept or president out of the Word of GOD for their so doing (which is the greatest tyranny of the world) how would these men lord it if their government were once established by Parliament? It is well known and can sufficiently be proved, that godly Christians and people of approved integrity and of holy conversation, against whom they had no exception either for doctrine or manners, and who offered themselves to be admitted members upon their own conditions, yet were not suffered to be joined members, only because they were poor; and this very reason was given unto them for their not admission, that they would not have their Church over▪burdened with poor.
And others desiring that their Children might be baptized in their Congregations, and going to the Ministers of those Assemblies to entreat this favor, that their children might be baptized among them.
For Answer, it was told them, that they could baptize none but such as were infants of their joined Members (which is their practice) and wished them first to be made joined Membert in one of their Churches: Whereupon they thought that there was no Congregation fitter for them to join to, than to that Pastors Assembly that had given them this counsel, and therefore they applied themselves unto him, and desired that they might be admitted joined Members: for answer, it was replied, that the congregation of which he was Pastor, consisted of great personages, Knights, Ladies and rich Merchants; and such people as they being but poor, could not walk so suitably with them; withal he said, he could do nothing without the consent of the congregation; wherefore he persuaded them to join themselves to some other congregation among poor people, where they might better walk, and more comfortably in fellowship with them, so that the last news I heard of this business, was that the children were neither baptized nor the poor men admitted to be joint Members of that congregation.
What their Ministers have done since I know not, but I well perceive, it is as great a difficuly for a poor man to get into some of their congregations, as to get into Suttons-Hospital; and that I conceive to be the only occasion that makes some walk so long in many congregations before they come to be admitted members; for if they be rich they are speedily received, nay invited to be Members.
It is too well known, that many godly and holy people have left their native country, and transported themselves over into New▪England, where this government is set up, only that they might enjoy the Ordinances there in their purity; they were believers before they went, and were baptized, and such as were known before they went thither to be the dear servants of God; but when they come there (especially if they be poor) they make them walk some a year, some more, yea, some six or seven before they can be admitted Members of their Congregations, and they baptize none of those children that are borne there before their Parents be joined Members; and except they will in all things conform themselves to their own conditions, they shall never be admitted.
And some time the man only is admitted, and his wife left out still to walk; and some time the wife is admitted and the man left out still to walk, and both these notwithstanding are believers and baptized; and after with a great deal of difficulty, they are admitted to be Members; a very small offense will be sufficient to cast them out again, if they be poor. But for stories of this nature, I do not love to multiply them; but I have heard many of this kind from those places, and from such as have been in New-England, and men both then and now no way evilly affected either to the place or people, serving God there.
But it is too notorious, they lord it there over God's poor Clergies in the superlative degree, and every man that hath but eyes in his head may see it here in England in their congregations, what difference they make between the rich and poor, and that they have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons, a sin in Saint James his time highly blamed in Christians, James 2. And as in their carriage towards the poor, they are very lofty, and look for great observance and attendance from them wheresoever they come, so likewise a little thing will displease them; if they speak a word amiss, it is enough to be cast out of the Congregation; presidents of this nature might be brought many: And if all this be not to lord it over God's Clergies, I know not what it is; to admit of none, though believers, and already baptized, but such as will come in upon their own terms, and keep out the poor either altogether, or as long as pleaseth them, without any other reason but because they are poor, and cast them out again upon every slender occasion; I say, if all this be not a most diabolical tyranny and lording it over God's Clergies, I refer it to any moderate man to judge of; and if to unchurch all Churches but their own, and at one blast to proclaim them all enemies of Christ and his Kingdom, and to deny all Church-fellowship with them, be not more than a Diotrephian, Prel • ticall and Papal Authority, there was never any in the world, and if this be not to lord it over God's Clergies, there was never any known.
Now I say, if the Independent Presbyters do so timely begin their absolute lording of it, what would they do if their government were established by authority? Their Ministry and government is far different from that of Christ and his holy Prophets and Apostles; for they invited all the poor to come in and to buy milk, yea, to come in and buy milk without money, Isaiah 55 〈◊〉 and Saint Paul for the encouraging of the poor to come in, • aith, not many mighty not many noble, but the mean and contemptible things hath the Lord made choice of; intimating unto the poor, that they have as good right to Heaven as the greatest and chiefest; and our Savior Christ saith, come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and ye shall find rest unto your souls: Our Savior hath no respect of persons, but the poor are with him as acceptable as the rich, if they be weary and heavy laden with their sins; for that is all the condition that Christ requires, in all that desire to be admitted Members of his Church.
Now when these Presbyters already make so great difference between the poor and the rich, and between believers and believers, as they will admit none but at their own times, and upon their own conditions, I do conceive that this is a most tyrannically lording it over God's Clergies and Inheritance; which when they daily do it, and the Presbyters of the Church of England do it not, it is most apparent that their rule and domination is more prelatical and more to be feared than that of the Presbyters of the Church of England; for from the Independent Presbyters they can never expect any appeal for relief and redress, whatsoever wrong or injury they have sustained by them; and therefore there is no just cause why any should so traduce the Presbytery of the Church of England, as to think they will lord it over the people, from whom they may ever expect far better measure than ever they can from the Independent Presbytery, which if it should once be established, would tend to nothing else but to enslave the whole Kingdom, and to bring in a confusion upon both Church and State.
But now it will not be amiss before the conclusion, as we have compared the Presbyters of the Church of England with the Presbyters Independent, both in regard of their doctrine and discipline; so now likewise here to paragonate them together, in their proceedings for the advancement of Christ's Kingdom, that all men may see in that regard also, which of their endeavors tend most to the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and which of them ought to be preferred before other, and which of them doth more really and truly tend not only to God's glory, but to the peace also of the Church and State: For the Presbyters of the Church of England, they 〈◊〉 and endeavor, as there is but one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father over over all, who is above all, and through all, and one true Christian Religion, Eph. 4. so that this only may be established through the three Kingdoms; and that all erroneous ways of worshipping and serving God, and that tends to lead men to perdition, and make disturbance in Church and State, may not publicly be tolerated: The Independents on the contrary, both publicly and privately, and in all their bitter railing and intolerable Pamphlets, as that of the Compassionate Samaritan, the Storming of Antichrist, and that of the Arraignment of Mr Persecution, & in many more of their scurrilous writings, plead for a toleration of all Religions (under pretence of liberty of conscience) whatsoever they be, as Judaism, Turkism, Popery, Paganism, and all manner of sects, and for the confirming of this their diabolical tenent, they bring in the example of the heathen Nations, who suffered all Religions amongst them; and the example of Poland, Transsylvania and Holland, those pantheons of all Religions, add tell us of the Parable where Christ commanded that the Tares and the Wheat should be suffered to grow together till the harvest, the day of judgment: And use or abuse rather some other places of Scripture, which as they conceive make all for a toleration of all Religions.
To all which their pretences, I shall at this time briefly anwer, after I have set down some grounds out of holy Scripture, and produced some examples of God's dear children, friends and servants out of the same, which must be the warrant of all Christians to follow to the end of the world; for whatsoever was written before was written for our learning, 1 Cor. 10. Rom. 15. and by the Word of God, and from the example of God's servants, we are ever taught, that diversity of Religions amongst Christians ought not to be tolerated.
And first to begin with Abraham, the Father of the faithful, and his seed, whose examples, all that are his and their children, ought to set before their eyes for imitation: The Lord called Abraham, as it is in Joshua 24. out of his Father Terah's house, and from his kindred, when they served other gods and made a Covenant with him, as it is at large set down in the 12. of Genesis, and in divers other places of the same book; and in special in the 17. of Genesis, verse 1, 2, 3, &c. where the Lord reneweth his Covenant with him and his seed, and sets down the conditions of his Covenant with Abraham, which was, that Abraham should walk before him and be perfect, and that then he would be his God all sufficient to provide for him and protect him wheresoever he came; which covenant the Lord ever kept with Abraham and his seed, delivering them out of the hands of all their enemies, when they served him according to the conditions of the covenant, walking uprightly before him (as he will do to all his children to the end of the world, walking in father Abraham's steps) and of Abraham the Lord says this, in the 18. of Genesis ver. 17, 18, 19. Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do. seeing that Abraham shall become a great and a mighty Nation, and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? for I know him, that he will command his children and household after him, that they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do Justice and Judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him, &c.
In these words, we have God's testimony of Abraham in the which he gives this witness of him, that he would command his children and household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment: Then it is manifest, that Abraham tolerated neither in his children, nor in his household any Religion contrary unto that that God had taught him, nor suffered no idolatry nor Sects in his family; for this had not been to walk uprightly before God, for it had been unjust dealing with God so to have done; for Abraham and his seed were to walk perfectly and sincerely before God, and therefore he would never tolerate all Religions or the worshipping of a false God, or the worship of the true God after a false manner, which also is Idolatry, for this had not been to do justice and judgment; but Abraham set up the true worship of God wheresoever he came, as the whole story of his life doth abundantly declare: And so did Isaac after him, and Jacob after him, as in the 33. of Genesis doth appear, where Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments, and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an Altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me in the way which I went; and they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods that were in their hands, and Jacob hid them under the Oak that was at Shechem, and the terror of God was upon the cities which were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
In these words we have a president for imitation, with the fruit and benefit that doth redound to all those people and Nations that set up the true worship of God, and root out all Idolatry and false worship out of their families and Countries; for Jacob gives no toleration in his house nor amongst his people for all Religions, or for any other but that which God himself had appointed; he sets up the true worship of God, and that only within his Jurisdiction, and buries all the Idols, of what price and how rich soever they were, and he found the comfort and benefit of this his so doing; for the Lord for this his faithful service, blessed him and protected him from the fury of all his provoked enemies; for the terror of God was upon them all, so that they durst not pursue him.
And if we take notice in our reading of the holy Scriptures, we shall find and that through the whole Word of God that the Lord ever followed that people, and those Kings and governors and their whole Kingdoms and Countries with special blessings and singular favors that purged their Country from idolatry and all false worships, and struck a terror into all their enemies round about them; neither did they ever purge their Countries from Idolatry, and root out Idolaters, but the anger of the Lord was presently appeased by it; and it is always recorded to the eternal praise and honor of those Kings, Rulers and Judges that were most forward in reformation, and that set more thoroughly upon that good work of reformation; and those that did things but to the halves in reformation, have not so honorable a testimony in holy Scripture as the other: and that God hath ever been pleased when Idolatry hath been rooted out, and Idolaters put to death, there be many presidents of it in the Word of God.
Amongst others, that in the 32. of Exodus, how highly was God displeased there with the making of that Calf? and how well was he pleased when execution was done upon the contrivers and authors of that Idolatry, that place sufficiently declareth; yea, in the 13. of Deuteronomy, the Lord declaring how much he detesteth Idolatry and all false worship, giveth a dispensation to children for disobedience to their parents (who by his law they are bound to obey) in God's matters; so that if those of their nighest relations should go about to entice any to Idolatry, or to the worshipping of false gods, or the true God in a false manner, or should endeavor but to bring in another Religion than that the Lord had appointed, that then they should bring them forth and have justice done against them; so that God abhorreth that any Religion amongst his own people should be tolerated or set up besides that he himself hath commanded; and he had forbid in his law, that any man should make to themselves any graven Image, or set up any way of worshipping him but that which he himself had ordained and enjoined, and commanded that they that should attempt any such thing should be put to death.
We see likewise what Joshua did according to the commandment of God, who ought to be a pattern to all Christians, and all Christian Magistrates, chap. 24. verse 14, 15, 16. Now therefore (saith he) fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord; and if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but for me and my house, we will serve the Lord: And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord and serve other gods; for the Lord our God is he that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, &c.
Here we may observe first, that Joshua enjoins them to serve the Lord in sincerity and in truth, and that they might do that, to put away all their idols; he gives no toleration of all Religions: and the like may be said of Joshua, Joshua 24. 15. and that they might with the more alacrity yield obedience to God's command, he sets his own example before their eyes, with his resolution, which was, that both he and his household would serve the Lord only and set up his worship, and all the people likewise assented to do the same, and gave their reason why they would serve the Lord, and tolerate no other Religion, because say they, the Lord hath brought us up out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage and made us his peculiar people, and therefore they resolved to serve him only, and tolerate no other service amongst them but that which God himself had commanded and appointed: And this example of Joshua and the people of Israel is left to all the people of God, to all ages for imitation, whose duty it is to set up the true worship of God only amongst them, and none but that which Christ their Redeemer, King and Law-giver hath enjoined them; and therefore all such as would have all Religions tolerated, do exceedingly forget themselves, and are highly unthankful to Christ their King and Redeemer.
And if we look into the story of the Judges, the book following that of Joshua, when this generation was dead, and that they had forgot their covenant, and began to tolerate all Religions amongst them, they brought down all those plagues upon themselves by it, that were written in the law of Moses; and for no other cause, saith the holy Scripture, but for that they set up those Religions the heathens had served their gods by, as is manifest from the sixth chapter; for when the people cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites; the Lord sent a Prophet unto them first, who told them that the cause of all the judgments was, because they had not obeyed the voice of the Lord, but had served the gods of the nations which he had forbidden them: and afterwards he sent an Angel unto Gideon, and commanded him to break down the Altar of Baal which his father had made, and to cut down the Grove that was by it, and to set up an Altar to the Lord: In the first place Gideon was enjoined to root out idolatry, and then to set up God's true worship only; here we find no toleration of any Religion but the true Religion; when they set upon the work of reformation, and when the men of the City made inquiry after him that had broken down the Altar and cut down the Grove, and would have put him to death, it is related, that Joash the Father of Gideon said to all those that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him let him be put to death whiles it is yet morning, if he be a god let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his Altar: Here we find no toleration of Baal's Religion, but that they that would plead for him should be put to death; and surely, those that will plead for a toleration of all Religions, do no less than fight against God.
But now let us see what Elias did, 1 King. 18. ver. 21. (who was counted as the Chariots and Horse-men of Israel) with Baals Priests, and what he said to all those of his times, How long (saith he to the people) will ye halt between two Religions? if the Lord be God follow him, but if Baal be God then follow him. The holy Prophet would not admit of a toleration of all Religions, but when God had miraculously manifested from Heaven that Elias his Religion was the true Religion, and which God in his holy Word had established, all Baals Priests were put to death, and that by Elias his command, who said, Take the Prophets of Baal, let none of them escape; and they took them, and Elias took them and brought them down to the Brook Kishon and slew them there. And so upon all reformations, all other Religions were cast out but the true Religion, as we may see through the whole Scripture, as in the stories of the Kings and Chronicles, and those of Nehemiah and Ezra and through all the Prophets; and the Lord in the second of Jeremiah complaineth against his people, That they had forsaken the fountain of living water, that is, they had forsaken the true God and served other gods, and forsaken their maker, and had been more inconstant than the very Heathen, who had not forsaken their idol gods; and therefore for this their Rebellion and ingratitude, the Prophet denounces all those plagues that were written in the Law against them, as all the other Prophe • s did: for there is not any sin in all the Old Testament that the Lord more complains of than that of Idolatry, and the toleration of many Religions amongst them, as is most abundantly set down both in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Daniel, and in all the other Prophets, all which were written for our learning; so that if the people of God shall imitate them in their sins, they must look to partake with them in their plagues; for the tolerating of all Religions would be a just provoking of the Lord our God to anger now, as it was then. And we have sad experience already, what the tolerating of the idolatry of the Mass, that Dagon of Ginger-bread, hath brought upon us; for God will not be mocked; if God be God, and the Christian Religion of the reformed Churches, and which we find in the holy Scriptures, and which was confirmed by so many signs and wonders, and miracles, be the true religion, then let that and that only be s • t up amongst Christians, and no other tolerated; for if they be, they will speedily bring the plagues of God upon the Kingdom, and confusion upon us all; as we may well perceive by the suffering of them but a few years, what good effects they will produce: for toleration of all Religions cannot be pleasing unto God no more in our times, than it was amongst his ancient people the Jews, and in the Primitive Churches; and therefore all those that plead for a toleration of all Religions are no friends of Christ nor Lovers of Religion, pretend what they will; for neither Abraham, Jsaac, nor Jacob, nor any of the Prophets nor holy men of God would suffer it, neither would the Apostles ever endureit, but in all their writings they give especial charge to all the people to take heed of all the false Teachers of their time, and forewarn them to take heed of them in all succeeding ages, ever describing them by their crafty dealings, that they should come in sheep's clothing, and in all seeming holiness and feigned simplicity, and therefore that they are the more to be avoided: And Paul writing to the Galatians, in the fifth Chapter, wisht and desired that the false Teachers were cut off; so far were the holy Apostles from tolerating all Religions, as in all their Epistles they inveigh against them, and that continually as false Apostles and Deceivers, and command all Christians to receive no other Religion but that which they had taught them, Gal. 1. and bids the people come out of Babylon; and tells them there is no fellowship with light and darkness; and surely if all the Prophets and Apostles • id command all the people of God to come out of Babylon, they never gave leave to any Christians to set up Babylon amongst them, and to tolerate the confusion and mingling together of all Religions; for this would be a thing not only against the Scripture and revealed will of God, but against all solid reason and sound judgment.
Nay we see that Christ himself in writing to the seven Churches in Asia, and in them to all Christians in the world, he blames the Angel of the Church of Pergamos, and that of Thyatira, in the second chapter, in these words, To the Angel in the Church of Pergamos, write these things, saith he that hath the sharp sword with two edges, I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is, and thou holdest fast my Name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas my faithful Martyr, was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth: but I have a few things against thee, because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of B • alam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling▪block before the children of Israel, and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols, and to commit Fornication: so hast thou them also that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate: repent, or else I come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth. And unto the Angel of the Church of Thyatira write, these things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass, I know thy works and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first; notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce my servants, to commit Fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols, &c. and in the 3. chap. ver. 14. Unto the Angel of the Church of Laodicea write these things, saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness • c; the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot, J would thou wert cold or hot; so then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, J will spew thee out of my mouth, &c.
Out of the which places, it is sufficiently manifest, that it is • thing highly displeasing unto God, that his people should give a tolerátion of any Religion but that he hath established; and those that labor for a toleration of all Religions must needs be lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, which is an evil the Lord is so much displeased with, as he tells them that he will spew them out of his mouth; and surely there is nothing that favors more of licentiousness and carelessness in Religion, and want of zeal to God's glory in any men, then when they would bring in a toleration of all Religions: And many of them can report, that there is no Religion in Holland, where there is a toleration of all Religions, though it is well known that there are men in that Country of the native Dutch people, that are as zealous for the true Religion as any of them, and are as much desirous that tolerations of all religions amongst them were not there permitted, as they now wish a toleration of all Religions were suffered here amongst us; for they find by experience that it is an occasion of all profaneness, and if they should have there the like occasions of civil combustions as we have, through God's displeasure for our sins and ingratitude towards him here in England, I am afraid they would find the toleration of all those religions amongst them, would prove an intolerable thing to them, if not the cause of the ruin of their whole Country. The Lord divert his judgments from them, and grant that they may never taste of the miseries that we now are acquainted with, but for tolerating of Popery and Arminianism, and the prelatical faction; and without doubt if the suffering but of these three has so displeased God, the tolerating of all would give him a just cause of his more hot indignation.
But now to answer to their Objections in order; the Heathens say the Independents, suffered Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the Patriarchs and the people of Israel where ever they came to exercise their own religion, and tolerated all religions amongst them. For answer, let them take notice, that no thank is due to the Heathens for it (as we may see in Genesis the 12. chap. and the 20. chap. and chap. 26.) but only the glory of that is to be ascribed to God, who restrained them when they intended evil against them; for he appeared to some of them in visions, and commanded them not to touch his anointed people, and forbad them to do his Prophets any harm, and by the special blessings that he rained down upon his people, and by his miraculous preserving of them in fiery furnaces and in Lions dens, from the fury of Savage-beasts, & delivering them so often out of the hands of all their enemies, he struck such a terror into the heathen nations, that they durst not oppress his people, so that the singular providence of God, who watcheth over them always for good, was their shield and Buckler; so that what they did in tolerating them and their Religion, was not of their good nature, but it was God's special favor towards his own peculiar people, and for the maintenance of his own cause, and that Religion which they had learned from him; and therefore those heathenish examples are not for Christians imitation to tolerate all Religions, who are bound to obey God's commandments, and to follow the example of Abraham▪ Isaac and Jacob, and all the holy Prophets and Apostles, who all of them have condemned the toleration of all Religions amongst his people, and have denounced God's judgments against them for so doing.
Again, we must consider the principles of the heathen Philosophers, and the practice of all wicked godless Politicians in all ages; for the Philosophers, though they were sufficiently convinced by their natural reason, that there was a God, and that this God was the Author of all good, and the punisher of all evil, and therefore that he ought to be feared and served of all nations and people, yet because they by that natural light of understanding (which was but darkness in them) could not comprehend what that infinite Majesty and divine being and God-head was, and were not in themselves able to set down a description of him, nor how to conceive of that invisible Deity, nor what worship would be most pleasing unto him (which they could never do without God himself had revealed himself unto them as he did to his own people) they served him after some traditions they had received from their Fathers, and left all nations, cities and families to serve God as they thought best, and according to their own vain imaginations; and for the Atheistical Politicians of all ages, all Religions are one to them, who never regard any one more than another, and therefore tolerate all for their own base ends, and think it best for the enriching of all their countries (as the experience of all ages and histor es can sufficiently witness) and many of them do not refrain to say, that Religion was only brought into the world out of policy, and to keep people in awe; so that God of his infinite goodness having the ordering of all men's hearts in his hands, did so dispose of all things, that by their own principles they should give toleration of all Religions in their several countries and jurisdictions, so that his people being scattered here and there through other nations by their sins, yet found this favor, that they also for the most part enjoyed the liberty of their Religion (though they met sometimes with most hot persecutions) but all this is ever to be ascribed to God alone (as I said before) and to his overswaying providence and guidance, whoever preserved those that trust in him, and served him according to his revealed will, though it be in Babylon it self, and therefore it is not to be attributed to the good nature of the Heathen, neither would that toleration now be tolerable in Christians, who have learned Christ otherwise than to set up any Religion but that which he the King and Prophet of his Church hath taught them.
But now I will briefly answer to what they pretend out of Scripture, and run through the several Objections drawn from thence.
And first to begin with that of Joshua 21. where he faith, choose you this day whom you will serve, &c. In these words, by their favor, there is no toleration of many Religions, for he was to follow the Law of God, and not to decline from it, either to the right hand or to the left, Joshua 1. and by that Law he was forbid to suffer or tolerate any Religion but that which Moses had taught them; and therefore those words were a mere scrutiny, and to find out those that were idolaters to punish them, as any wise governor may at any time make use of the like Query, to find out men not well affected to Religion, or to their Country, that by this means they may be brought to condign punishment: As if now any Officer or Commander under the Parliament should say to a company of men that he was jealous of, being desirous to discover them and find them out, choose you this day who you will serve, whether the King or the Parliament, but for myself and my house we will serve the Parliament: would not any by and by gather that he spake this only to find out Malignants to punish them? Even so Joshua a wise and religious governor did the same, not that he ever intended to give them a toleration of all religions, for that had been against the Law of God, and against their own example; for in the 22. of Joshua, we read that because the people had built but an Altar on the other side of Jordan, they intended forthwith to make war upon them (a president to teach Christians that they may fight for their religion) and they had gone out to battle against them and had destroyed them, had they not given a satisfactory answer that they had no intent to bring in any innovation in Religion; and therefo • e this is but a poor cavil: Now for that they pretend out of Gamali • ls speech, Acts 5. verse 38, 39. where he saith, Refraine from these men (speaking of the Apostles) and let them alone, for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest happily ye be found fighters against God: Ergo, all Religions are to be tolerated.
This Objection doth sufficiently show that our brethren the Independents that thus argue, may well be made fellows of Gotham College, as knowing not as yet their Primer in politics, nor their Catechism in divinity: For who knows not that it is as easy with God who is of infinite wisdom, out of men's foolishness to procure safety for his own people, as it was for him, out of Ahithophel's wisdom to bring destruction upon himself, and to turn his wisdom into foolishness; for that which Gamaliel spake was neither as a wise man, nor as a Christian; for he would never be thought a wise man that hearing of any commotion in the Kingdom, and had the power in his hands to suppress it, should say, if it be of men it will come to naught, but if it be of God, if we shall oppose it, we shall be found fighters against God, and therefore let us let them alone; would not all the world think this man a Ninny, that should thus speak, and a man unworthy to sit in counsel in any State? whereas a wise man if he hears of any insurrection, he will forthwith use the weapons of his right hand, and first seek God by prayer and in his Ordinances, and then betake himself to the weapons of the left hand and use the sword to suppress them; and this man would be thought a wise man that should so do; and not he that with Gamaliel should say, if it be of men it will come to naught, and so let them go on to do mischief: Neither did he answer as a Christian; for what Christian that should hear of any new monstrous Religion newly printed and newly come forth (as there are many at this day to be sold about Town and Country for pence a piece) and should understand that some of those ancient heresies were again revived, as that of the Arians, Pelagians, or Nestorians, should say let them alone, for if they be of men they will come to naught, but if they be of God ye cannot overthrow them, lest you will be found fighters against God, and so let the seducers go on without questioning them, or suppressing their heresies; would not every man that hath any fear of God in him say, surely that man that should thus answer, did not speak like a Christian? for a good Christian like the good Bereans would say come let us sit down and examine these new doctrines newly brought into the world by the holy Scriptures, and let us follow the example of the Apostles, Acts 15. in that assembly and search the Scriptures, and if we find them not to be grounded on the Word of God, nor to be of God, let us forthwith as God himself hath commanded, suppress them, and not say, without examining of them, as wise Gamaliel, let them alone; that was not God 's method; for God sent his people to the law and to the testimony, Isaiah 8. and proclames that all that speak not according to them, it is because there is no light in them, and that all opinions not grounded on the Word, are but darkness and error, and therefore they are not to be tolerated or suffered; so that for any man to gather a toleration of all Religions from Gamaliel's speech, is but to prove himself a me • groll; and as little to the purpose is that they urge out of the words of our Savior, Matthew 22. where answering the Sadducees he saith, Ye do err not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God, verse 29, From whence the Independent brethren conclude a toleration of all Religions; for our Savior, say they, only convinced them of their error, and yet tolerated them and suffered them to enjoy the liberty of their conscience.
I have heard many magnify our Independent brethren for their great learning, some affirming that they were scholars from their mothers womb, and for my part I believe it; for ignorance of God and of his holy Word came with all men from their mothers womb, and if such interpretations of Scripture and such illations from them, as these be, proceed not from the ignorance of God and of the Scripture, never any did; for what learned man that knows what Christ's office was in taking human nature upon him, when he became a Mediator and the high Priest of our redemption, would argue as these men do? especially when Christ hath so often in holy Scripture professed of himself that he came then to save those th t were lost, and not to judge the world; for he hath left that employment till his next coming, when I am most assured these men will have a great deal to answer for, for so abusing the holy Scriptures to maintain their own baggatellies: Besides, Christ came to keep the law for us which he himself had given unto his people and took no way the office of a Judge upon him, but in scourging out the buyers and sellers out of the Temple, that I remember, and saith, that he came not to break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking slax, only he had declared his laws unto his people, Malachi the fourth, by his servant Moses, and the execution of these laws was put into the hands of the Elders of Israel, whose place it was to punish all seducers, and who should have performed that work of justice which our Savior declaring doth not give liberty for the tolerating of all Religions, which was against the revealed will of God; and therefore they that will out of this place argue a toleration of all Religions, may as well conclude, that Christ tolerated adultery and injustice, and all manner of wickedness, because our Savior Christ said unto those that brought the Woman to him, that was found in the act of uncleanness, he that is without sin amongst you, let him cast the first stone, and when her accusers were gone, said unto the Woman, Woman where are thy accusers, go thy way and sin no more. Ergo, Christ gave a toleration for all Adulterers: and when the young man in the 16. of Luke came to our Savior and complaing of unjustice done unto him by his brother, and desiring him to speak unto his brother that he would divide the inheritance with him, to whom our Savior answered, man, who made me a Judge or a Divider among you? ergo, Christ gave toleration of all injustice. And because our Savior Christ said in that Parable of the good seed that was sown and of the tares that sprung up, that they should let them alone till the harvest, an argument which they much depend on: Ergo, all wicked men are to be tolerated, and no justice to be done upon them till Dooms-day, and they are to live without molestation, and the Magistrate ought not to meddle with them, because Christ said, let the good corn and the tares grow together till the harvest; who would not admire to hear any man thus to argue, that there should be such either folly or wickedness in the heart of man, to abuse the holy Scriptures for their own ends? And who knows not, that it is concluded amongst all learned men, that Symbolica Theologia non est argumentutiva; and that the Parable infers no more, but that it is not for any private man to take upon him the Magistrates office, or rashly to intrude himself into the place of Rulers and Governors: But truly all such consequences may as well be gathered from everyone of the above specified Scriptures, as they gather from our Savior's words to the Sadducees, and from the Parable of Christ for the tolerating of all Religions; and therefore all such argumentations as these are but poor props to uphold their Tenent: for God hath given us that are Christians both the Law and the Gospel, by which we ought to be guided in the serving of him, and by the which all Christians are directed what course to take in the punishing of vice, and for the suppressing of errors and offenders, whether they be delinquents in doctrine or manners: And although Christians by the Gospel are freed from the ceremonial Law, yet we are not freed from the substance of it; for he that said to the Israelites, be ye holy as I am holy, saith also to all Christians, be ye holy as I am holy, 1 Pet. 1. so that although the ceremony be abolished, yet the substance remaineth still in force; and although the rigor of the judicial law be taken away, and Christians are not tied to that manner of administration of justice, yet the equity of that law doth still continue, and righteous judgments is everywhere amongst all Christians to be executed, and satisfaction to be made to all such as have been unjustly damnified; and although we are freed from the curse, malediction and coaction of the moral law, yet we are not freed from the obedience of it; so that whatsoever was commanded in it to the Israelites, or forbidden them, the same is both commanded and forbidden to all Christians to the ends of the world, and whatsoever was death by the law of God and nature then, for ought I know ought to be punished with death now amongst Christians, as blasphemors, wizards, witches, idolaters, and all such as despise Moses law; under the mouth of two or three witnesses, if they be people within the pale of the Church, and make profession of the Christian Religion, for Christians have nothing to do with those that are without to judge them except they offend against the civil and municipal laws of the Country and against the laws of nations and nature when they live amongst them: for Christ came not to change the moral law, but to ratify it in all things. And although the Sabbath be changed in respect of the day, yet for the holiness of the first day of the week (which is the Christians Sabbath) and which is in place of it, I am confident it ought most carefully to be observed, and that the whole day ought in all sanctity and holiness to be kept; and besides the fourth Commandment for the sanctification of a seventh day, we have the example of the Primitive Christians and blessed Apostles, who always had their meetings on the first day of the week, and spent the whole day in the duties of piety and charity; for in the 20, of the Acts we read, that on the first day of the week the Disciples came together to break bread; that was for the hearing of the Word, and for the administration of the Sacraments, and for the exercising of all holy duties; and that Paul preached there until midnight, and that when Eutichus was fallen down with sleep, Paul restored him to life again to all their comforts; so that here we have one president, that the whole Lord's day wasspent by all those Christians in the works of piety and charity. Again, in the first of the Revelations Saint John saith, that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, that is, the first day of the week, called by Saint John the Lord's day, and there the Angel preached unto him that day, and commanded Saint John to take so much of his Sermon by writing, as God in his wisdom thought fit to reveal unto his Church; and he that shall diligently read what is there written, will gather that the whole day was taken up by Saint John, and spent in hearing, and writing and meditating of what he had heard; for without doubt Saint John made it his whole days work to be spiritually employed; and as the holy Communion is called the Lord's Supper, and all the time of that action is holily to be employed, as being ordained by Christ himself to that end; even so the Lord's day being a day dedicated unro Christ, and ordained by him for holy duties, and for the hearing of the Word, and for the administration of the Sacraments and prayer, the whole day ought both privately and publicly to be taken up in the employments and works of piety and charity, as hearing, reading, meditating, prayer, repetition of Sermons in their Families, and catechizing and instructing their children and servants, singing of Psalms, in visiting the sick and them that are in prison; relieving the poor and necessitated, &c.
These examples of the Primitive Christians are for our imitation, for so Saint Paul in the third of the Philippians in the 17. verse saith; Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an example; for our conversation is in Heaven. And in the 4. chapter, verse 8. he saith, Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things: Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard, and seen in me▪ do, and the God of peace shall be with you. By the which testimonies to omit many more, we are tied to follow the examples of the Apostles, and to imitate them in all that is holy and good, and of good report; now it is praise worthy and of good report to spend the whole Lord's day in holy employments, and we have the Apostles examples, and the Primitive Christians for so doing, and therefore we ought to spend the whole Lord's day in the works of piety and charity; and by this the sanctifying of the Christian Sabbath, (which is every seventh day) is ratified; the profanation of the which in the reformed Churches, and in many places through these three Kingdoms has been one of the causes of all those heavy judgments the whole Christian world now groans under, and so much more would the Lord be provoked by the toleration of all Religions amongst us, which would give just occasion of violating of all the Commandments of God, and of disobedience both to God and man; for it is most sure, that the Moral Law is not altered in anything for substance, and that God that by it enjoined but one Religion to the Israelites, and commanded them to keep that pure and undefiled, and to punish all Idolaters, Blasphemers and Seducers, hath enjoined the same to all Christians, and hath not suffered or permitted them to tolerate all Religions or any sects or heresies, which by the Apostle in the fifth of the Galatians are called the works of the devil, who declareth there also that they that do them shall not enter into the Kingdom of God. So that those that would bring in a toleration of all Religions have a desire to send men to the devil; which is one of the greatest impieties and wickednesses that can be perpetrated by the sons of men. Truly if God had such a care for the preserving of the very natural life of man, that charissimum animal, as he made a Law that it should be death in any to tolerate or suffer any beast to go at liberty and range abroad, if he killed a man, after he had been told and forewarned of it that it was a dangerous creature, as we may see Exod. 21. 28, 29. where the Lord thus speaketh; If an Ox gore a man, or a woman, that they die, then the Ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten: but the Owner of the Ox shall be quit. But if the Ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified unto his owner, and he hath not kept him in but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the Ox shall be stoned, and his Owner also shall be put to death. I say if the willful tolerating of but a mischievous creature to go loose after his owner was informed of the dangerousness of it, and that the owner himself was to be put to death if he killed either a man or a woman after it; how much more may we think the Lord will severely punish those men that will suffer heresies, and most dangerous and blasphemous opinions and idolatries to go at liberty, which with their horns push men into hell it self to the destroying both of the souls and bodies of the poor people: for in the fifth of the Galatians it is said, that he • esies and idolatry, &c. are amongst those sins that send men to perdition. And we are informed by the Law of God of the deadliness of all sins, but especially of those there named; and God hath often taught us in his holy Law how much he detesteth all false religions, and false worships, and by a special edict, Exod. 22. verse 20. hath informed us saying, He that sacrificeth unto any God save the Lord shall be put to death, so that we cannot pretend ignorance; and here is no exceptions of either persons or sexes; and the same Law is reiterated in many more places of holy Writ, and especially Deuter 13. where the whole Chapter is spent about the punishment of Idolaters, and such as set up a false way of worshipping God: and for the Moral Law many of the Independents themselves as I can out of several of their writings prove, hold that it is not alterable, but it is of the same force now it was then; and if they grant this as they do, they must likewise acknowledge that all the sanctions of it and penalties are also in force, and that whatsoever was death by the Law of God then, is by the same Law death n • w; or else either God is changeable, or the Law is altered, both which I have yet so good opinion of some of them as I am confident they will not assert: and therefore they must necessarily yield unto this, if God and his Moral worship or Law be the same and unalterable, they must I say then also accord unto this, that whatsoever was not then to be tolerated in Religion, is not now to be suffered, but severely be proceeded against. Ye • , Christ himself in his Epistles to the Church of Pergamos and Thyatiria and Laodic • a, Rev. 2. and 3. as I proved before, shows by threatening such heavy judgments upon those Churches for but conniving at and tolerating of Idolatry, and those other filthy abominations there, and by threatening with all their destruction, and the killing of them and their children with the sword, and the removing from them the Candlestick, that is the Gospel, the greatest punishment that can happen to people to be left in darkness and blindness, and in the shadow of death, and in the power of Satan, and to be punished moreover with temporal miseries; I say all these comminations and threats sufficiently declare unto all advised Christians that Christ the Lord and King of his Church hath not altered his mind, but that that Law is still in force that was made by him to his people of old; yea, he hath farther declared unto hi • people, Matth. 5. 17. 19. that he came not to change the Law but to fulfill it, and that whosoever should teach the breaking of the least of his holy Laws should be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven
Now by all those his holy Laws made unto his people of old, and by the practice of all his holy servants and Prophets he hath declared how much he detesteth and abhorreth the toleration of all Religions, and not only by his words often reiterated, but he hath also declared his displeasure by the punishment and immediate judgments he laid upon Idolaters, as that before mentioned in the two and thirtieth of Exodus, where Moses from the Lord, verse 32. said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me▪ and the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him, and he saith unto them, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, and go out from gate to gate through the Campe, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor: here we find according to that of Deut. the thirteenth, that in God's quarrel, and for the vindicating of his honor we may neither spare brother, companion or nighest alyes. So that if God would not then tolerate all Religions, he will now much less endure it amongst us, especially when he hath so often manifest his displeasure against us, as we may see also Number the • 5. where it is recorded how much he was angery with his people for going into the sacrifices of the gods of the Moabites, and for their eating and bowing down to their gods, and for joining themselves with Baalpeor: for it is said there, that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said unto Moses, take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel; and Moses said unto the Judges of Israel, s • ay y •• everyone his men that were joined unto Baalpeor, verse 2. 3, 4 5. This president also we have of God's displeasure against a toleration of any false Religion, or false way of worship. So that all such as ple • d for a toleration of all Religions show that they have either no Religion at all, or very little zeal for God. Yea, certainly they show themselves all enemies of Christ's Kingdom, that thus violate his Laws, and trample them under their feet, and that would have the Kingdom of the Devil set up everywhere, and all Religions whatsoever tolerated amongst them, which must needs provoke the Lord to anger and displeasure against that nation that doth so provoke him.
But how unsufferable a thing then is it in any that have the name of Christians, that when they should with all their power and might oppose all innovations in Religion, much more a toleration of all Religions, as some of them with the hazard of their lives and liberties in former times opposed the innovations and the novelties of the Prelates, and inveighed against the Book for toleration of sports and recreations on the Lord's day, and cried out against it as an intolerable violating of God's Law, and asserted that it was enough to provoke the Lord to anger against the whole Land, and write books and divine Tragedies upon Sabbathbreakers, and Profaners of the Lord's day, and those that permitted the profanation of it, which with the godly of those times was reputed their immortal honor: how unsufferable a thing therefore is it I say now in these very men to plead for a toleration of all Religions that could not then tolerate sports on the Lord's day, by which not only the fourth commandment would be brake, but all the commandments of both of the first and second Table? without doubt they have a great deal to answer for before God; for by the doctrine we have learned from our Law giver and King the Lord Jesus Christ, (who is not changeable though they be)