Twelve Considerable Serious Questions

H Aving neither Leisure nor Oportunity to debate the late unhappy differences sprung up amongst us touching Church Governement (disputed at large by Master Herle, Doctor Steward Master Rotherford, Master Edwards, Master Durey, Master Goodwin, Master Nye, Master Simpson, and others,) which much retard the speedy accomplishment, and establishment of that happy Reformation, we all earnestly pray for, and at least pretend Cordially to desire, I have (at the importunity of some Reverend Friends, ) digested my subitane apprehensions of these distracting Controversies, into the ensuing considerable Questions, which sadly pondered, & solidly debated by sober-minded peaceably disposed men of greater Ability and Vacancy for such a work, then I enjoy, may put a happy period to all our dissensions about th • s subject, and heartily unite our divided Judgments, Affections, the better to secure ourselves against the common Enemies, who prevail most by our divisions.

1. Whether the Gospel being by Christ's own Injunction, to be preached to all Nations and people whatsoever, (who have their several established different forms of Civil Government, Laws, Manners, Rules, and Customs, suitable to their respective dispositions, climes, republikes,) it can be infallibly evidenced by any Gospel Text, That Christ hath peremptorily prescribed one and the self same form of Ecclesiastical Government, discipline, Rites to all Nations, Churches in all particulars from which they may in no case vary, under pain of mortal sin, Schism, or being no true Churches of Christ, with whom good Christians may not safely communicate? Or (rather) whether every several Nation, republike and National Church hath not under the Gospel a Liberty, and latitude left them to choose and settle such an orderly form of Church-Government, discipline, and Ecclesiastical Rites, as is most suitable to their particular Civil Government, Laws Manners, Customs: always provided it be consonant and no ways repugnant to the Word of God, nor prejudicial to his sincere Worship, or the people's salvation, nor such as hinders their Christian Communion, amity, Charity among themselves & with other true Christian Churches? This being (as I conceive) a generally received truth among all Protestant Churches ; the very substance of the 34. Article of the Church of England ; of the 77. Article of the Church of Ireland, and of the Statutes of 2. & 3. E. 6. c. 1.3. & 4. E. 6. c. 10.5. & 6. E. 6. c. 1.1. Eliz. c. 2.8. Eliz. c. 1. And whether some things in all Church Governments, Disciplines, Ceremonies whatsoever, are not and must not be left to human prudence, for which there is no direct precept nor pattern in sacred Writ? Which truth is assented to by all parties, Churches whatsoever, in theory or practice.

2. Whether, if any Kingdom or Nation shall by a National Council, Synod and Parliament, upon serious debate, Elect such a public Church-Government, Rites, discipline as they conceive to be most Consonant to God's Word, to the Laws, Government under which they live, and manners of their people, and then settle them by a general law; all particular Churches Members of that Kingdom and Nation, be not thereby actually obliged in point of Conscience & Christianity, readily to submit thereto, and no ways to seek an exemption from it, under pain of being guilty of Arrogancie Schism, Contumacie, and liable to such penalties as are due to these offenses?

3. Whether that form of Ecclesiastical Governement, which hath sufficient (if not best) warrant for it in the New Testament: the examples of the Primitive Church, of the best reformed Churches in this latter age to back it; the resolutions of the most eminent persons for Learning and Piety in all Protestant Churches, approving it, tends most to effect, establish Christian Unity, Peace and Amity, in the Churches, Nations, Kingdoms embracing it, and with foreign Churches professing the same Religion; suites best with the public civil Government, Laws, Manners of those Realms who receive it, and serves most effectually to prevent, suppress all Heresies, Errors, Scismes, Factions, diversities of opinions, corruptions of manners Libertinism, Injustice, with other inconveniencies which may infest a Church or State; is not to be chosen, rec • ived as a true undoubted Church-Governement, agreeable to the Gospel of Christ, and to be preferred before that Ecclesiastical Government, which hath no such express • arrant for it in Scripture, no pattern for it in the Primitive, or best reformed •• urches, no general approbation of the most eminent persons for Learning • nd Piety in all Protestant Churches, asserting it; tendes not to effect maintain or establish Christian Unity, Peace, Amitie in the Churches, Nations, Kingdoms embracing it: suits not with their established civil Laws, Go • ernment, and is no effectual means to prevent or suppress, but rather to intro •• ce and foment all Heresies, Errors, Scismes, Factions, diversities of opinions, corruptions of manners, Libertinism, Injustice (for want of Appeales) and other inconveniencies, which may infest a Church or State?

4. Whether the Presbyterial form of Church-government, if rightly ordered, be not such as is expressed in the former: the Independent such as is mentioned in the latter part of the preceding question? and therefore the first of them rather to be embraced then the last, without any long debate?

5. Whether the grounds and reasons principally in • isted on for an Independ • nt Church Government, be not such as if duly examined, will by unevitable necessary consequence subvert, dissolve, at least imbroyle, endanger all National, Provincial Churches, Councils, Synods, all settled Monarchical, Aristocratical, or Oligarchicall forms of civil Governement in Nations, Republics, States, Cities; reduce all Ecclesiastical, all Civil public kinds of Government, to that which is merely Parochial or Domestical, and make every small Congregation, Family, (yea person if possible) an Independent Church and Republic, exempt from all other public Laws, or Rules of civil and Ecclesiastical Government, but what they shall freely elect; prescribe unto themselves, during pleasure and alter as they see occasion, upon more light of truth revealed?

6. Whether in all Nations Ages, from the first preaching of the Gospel till this present as Christians and believers multiplied, particular Churches, did not likewise multiply, which had a dependency on, and communion one with another, and were all subordinate to National or Provincial Synods, and public Ecclesiastical constitutions? And whether any one example of such a particular Independent Congregational Church or Governement, as some now strennuously contend for, (or any one eminent Writer who maintained the same) can be produced in any Christian Nation, Kingdom or Republic, totally converted to Christianity, since Christ's time, till within our memories? If yea; then let the Independents nominate the place, age, Author, if they can. If not: then doubtless that can be no Church Government of Christ's or his Apostles Institution, which had never yet any being, nor approbation in the world, till this present age, for ought that can be proved.

7. Whether the self-same Law of Nature, God, and rule of rectified reason, which instructed, warranted all persons, Nations, as they multiplied, from private families to unite themselves into several Villages, Cities, Kingdoms, Republics, and to subject themselves to someone or other public form of Civil Government, and such general Laws, (obliging all persons, societies of men alike) which they conceived most useful, necessary for their common safety, and prosperity; did not heretofore, and now likewise teach persuade & instruct all men to use the self-same form of proceeding in matters of Church Government, as the number of Christians, Churches multiplied, or shall yet increase among them? Since all Nations whatsoever upon their conversion to Christianity have proceeded in this Method, as all Ecclesiastical Histories and the Acts of Councils testify? For example, first one person (or more) in a Nation was converted to the Faith of Christ; who converted his Family, and so perchance for a time had a private Church in his own house ; This Family after converted other persons, families by degrees, who united themselves into a Congregational or Parish Church; after which the Christians multiplying, and their Princes, Magistrates, Nations embracing the Christian Religion, they divided themselves into many Parochial Churches, Diocese, Provinces; none of which Parochial Churches, when multiplied and the whole Nation converted, either were or claimed to be independent but were ever subordinate to National or Provincial Synods, Classes, to the Common Council of Presbyters, and governed by general Laws or constitutions, to which they still submitted: just like our new Chapels and Churches lately built about London and other places which are not Independent, but subordinate to the Ecclesiastical Laws and public settled Government of our National Church. A course observed in all Religions, Nations in the world since Adams time till now, for ought appears to me.

And why this order, dictated by God, nature, and constantly pursued in all Nations converted to Christian Religion, should not be perpetually observed, but Independent Congregations gathered; not of Infidels, but of men already converted to and settled in the Christian faith, of which form of congregating Churches, no one example, (unless derived from the private Conventicles of Arians, Donatists, and other Heretics, who yet were not Independent amongst themselves) nor any direct Scripture, Reason, or Authority can be produced, to satisfy Conscience, for ought ever I could yet discern, nor yet for particular Church Covenants, (to which all Members must subscribe before admission into Independent Churches) I can yet see no ground.

8. Whether the concession of one Catholic Church throughout the world, denied by none: the National Assembly, and Church of the Israelites under the Law, (who had yet their distinct Synagogues and Parochial Assemblies) Instituted, approved by God himself ; the Synodal Assemblie of the Apostles, Elders, and Brethren at Jerusalem, Acts 15. who made and sent binding De • rees to the Churches of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, Cylicia, and other Churches; compared with the several general Injunctions of Paul in his Epistles to Timothy, Titus, the Corinthians, and other Churches he wrote to, touching Church discipline, Order, Government; seconded with all Ecumenical, National, Provincial, Councils, Synods, and the Church Government exercised throughout the world, in all Christian Realms, States, from their first general reception of the Gospel till this present; compared with Acts 7.38. c. 2.47. c. 5.11. c. 8.1.3. c. 12.5. c. 15.22. c. 20.28. Math. 16.18. Ephes. 3.10.21. c. 5.25.27.29.32. Col. 1 18.24. 1 Tim. 3.5.15. Be not an infallible proof and Justification of National Churches; of a common Presbyterian, Classical government, to which particular Congregations, Persons ought to be subordinate, & an apparent subversion of the Novell Independent Invention? Whether all answers • iven to these examples & Texts, by Independents be not, when duly scanned, mere palpable shifts or evasions which can neither satisfy the Consciences or Judgments of any intelligent Christians? And whether their argument from these phrases the Churches, the Churches of Christ, of Asia, Macedonia; all Churches, &c. in the plural number (meant only of the Churches then planted in several Cities, Provinces, Regions, Nations, under distinct civil Governments, comprised in Scripture under this aggregate Title the Church, oft times, and then equivalent to National Churches derived out of them as the Gospel, and believers of it multiplied) be anymore or better proof of particular Independent Churches in one & the self same City, Nation, Kingdom, Republic; Then Historians, Councils, and Canons mentioning of the Churches of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Spain, or the Churches within the Province of Canterbury, York, or Diocese of London, &c. argue, all or any of their Parish Churches to be Independent, not one Parochial Church in all these Realms being yet independent, but always subordinate to the whole National or Provincial Churches, Councils, Parliaments, Synods of these Kingdoms, as all Authors and experience witness.

9. Whether the Independents challenge of the Presbyterians to show them any National Church, Profes • ing Christ in our Savior's or the Apostles days, before any one Nation totally converted to the Christian faith, or any general open profession made of it by the Princes, Magistrates and Major part of any Nation, Kingdom, Republic, who were then all generally Pagans and Persecutors of the Gospel, not then universally embraced, be not a most irrational unjust demand? And whether this Argument from thence.

There was no National Church professing Christian Religion in the Apostles days (before any Nation totally converted to Christianity.)

Ergo, there ought to be no such National Church now; though the Prophets long before assured us ; and Christ with his Apostles certainly knew & predicted there should be National convertions, Churches after their days.

Be not as absurd an Argument as these ensuing.

There was no Nation wholly converted to th • • aith, nor any Church-meetings of Christians in public Churches, but only in private Families, Caves, Corners in the Apostles days.

Ergo, no Nations ought to be totally converted to the faith, nor any Christians to meet in public Churches, but only in private Families, Caves, Corners now; as they did then.

There was no Nation, Kingdom, City, Republic, Catholic, Congregational, or Parochial Church in Adams younger days, before people were multiplied, but only a family Government, and Church.

Ergo, there ought to be none but an Economical or Family Government, and Church, but no Nation, Kingdom, City, Republic, Catholic, or Parish Church now. No man will be so void of sense or reason to argue thus.

Every man in his Infancy is borne destitute of Religion, of the use of speech, reason, understanding, faith, legs, &c.

Ergo, he ought to continue so when he is grown a man.

Yet this is the main Argument of some Independents.

The Christian Church in the Apostles times, whiles she was in her very Infancy, and under persecution, was not National, but so and so, (yet never Independent.)

Ergo, she must not now be National, but still necessarily continue in, and be reduced to her primitive infant condition, and to an Independent Government.

When as the very History of the Acts, and Paul's Epistles clearly inform us, that as the number of Christians multiplied, so their Churches, Church Officers multiplied, their Church government, Discipline varied. At first the Christian Church had none but Apostles to preach and instruct the people; but when believers multiplied, then they and the Apostles ordained Deacons: after that Elders, Evangelical Bishops, Widdowes, with other Church Officers. And then fell, not only to write new Gospel's, Epistles, Canonical Scriptures, and rules of faith, (as appears by the whole New Testament) for the Churches further instruction, Edification, direction, by the special guidance of God's spirit : but also to prescribe new necessary Rules, Canons, directions, with sundry matters of Order, Discipline, as new occasions were Offered, which liberty of ordaining, supplying, instituting new Rites, Orders, Canons, things necessary or expedient for the Churches peace and welfare, they transmitted to posterity; and all Churches of Christ in all ages, places, yea the Independents themselves, have claimed and exercised this very liberty, as their right ; there being many things in their independent Government, which have no express warrant nor example in sacred wit to justify them.

10. Whether Independents can produce any one solid reason, why they ought not (in Point of Conscience) willingly to submit to a Presbyterial Government in case it shall be established among us by the general consent of the Synod, and Parliament, as most consonant to God's word, the Laws and Governement, of our Realm? and if not, whether it will not be justly reputed an high degree of Obstinacy, Singularity, Arrogancy, Self-ends, and peremptory Schism in them to oppose this form of Governement, or demand a special exemption from it, for themselves alone? when as Papists, Anabaptists and all other Sects may claim the like exemption, upon the like grounds as they allege?

11. Whether that Independent Governement which some contend for, if positively and fully agreed on, and laid down without disguises, and then duly pondered in the balance of scripture or right reason, be not of its own nature, a very Seminary of Schisms, and dangerous divisions in Church, state? a flood-Gate to let in an inundation of all manner of Heresies, Errors, Sects, Religions, distructive opinions, Libertinism and lawlesnesse among us, without any sufficient means of preventing or suppressing them when introduced? Whether the final result of it (as Master Williams in his late dangerous Licentious Book determines) will not really resolve it self into this detestable conclusion. That every man, whither he be Jew, Turk, Pagan, Papist, Arminian, Anabaptist, &c. ought to be left to his own free liberty of cōscienc, without any coertion or restraint, to embrace & publicly to profess what Religion, Opinion, Church, Government he pleaseth, & conceiveth to be truest, though never so erroneous, false seditous, detestable in it self?

And whither such a Government as this ought to be embraced much less established among us (the sad effects whereof we have already experimentally felt, by the late dangerous increase of many Anabaptistical, Antinomian, Heretical, Atheistical opinions, as of the souls mortality divorce at pleasure, &c. lately Broached, Preached, Printed in this famous City, which I hope Our grand Council will speedily and carefully suppress, and by our devisions between some of our Commanders refusing to be dependent or subordinate one to another,) I refer to the judgment of all such who have any sparks of love to God, Religion, their bleeding dying distracted native Country flaming in their breasts, or any remainder of right reason residing in their brains.

12. Whether the very title of Independency be not altogether improper for any man or Christian, as such, who is naturally as a man, spiritually as a Christian, • sociable dependent creature needing both the Cōmunion, and assistance of other persons, Nations, Churches? Whether the National League & Covenant we have taken doth not in sundry respects strongly engage us against Independency? and whether the root from which it originally springs (if really searched to the very bottom & stripped of all disguised pretences) be not a Pharesaical dangerous spiritual Prid, vainglorious Singularitie, or self-conceitednes of men's own superlative holiness (as they deem it) which makes them, contrary to the Apostles rule to est •••• others better then themselves: to deem themselves so transendently holy, sanctified, and Religious above others, that they esteem them altogether unworthy of yea wholly exclude them from their Communion & Church-society, as Publicans, Hethens, or profane persons (though perchance as good, or better Christians then themselves) unless they will submit to their Church-covenants, & Goverment, refusing all true brotherly familiarity, society with them, & passing oft times most uncharitable censures on their very hearts and spiritual estates (of which God never made them Judges & Forbids them for to judge, because he only knows men's hearts: Which hath lately engendered an extraordinary strangnes unsociablenesse and coldness of brotherly affection, if not great disunion, disaffection, and many dissensions among Professors themselves, yea, carelessness and neglect of one another's well •••••• Our mutual Christian dependency on and Relations one to another as Christian Brethren. As members of the self-same state and visible Church of Christ, being the strongest bond of unity, of brotherly love, care, relief, and mutual assistance in all times of need: it being the common 〈◊〉 & natural disposition of all men, to disrespect, neglect the relief, assistance •• re and protection of those who are independent on them, or have no relations to them, no communion with them, and whom they esteem as strangers, with whom they neither have nor think fit to have any brotherly Church-society ; Whence those of different Churches, or contrary religions (as Christians, Turks, Papists, Protestants, &c. ) are always for the most part at variance, enmity, seldom or never friendly, brotherly, charitable or assistant one to another. Since then this New-Invention of Independency, is apt to produce snch uncharitablenes, unsociablenesse, strangeness, differences, coldness of brotherly love, care, relief, and mutual assistance, even among Christians who profess themselves true Saints of God ; and tends apparently to the violation of these Principal precepts of the Gospel, and chiefest badges of Christianity, by which we know we are of the truth, that we are Christ's Disciples indeed; translated from life to death, and may assure our hearts hereof ; namely; to love one another: to love all the Saints and Brethren unfeignedly, not in word & in tongue, but indeed & in truth, with a pure heart fervently: to walk in love as Christ loved us: to put on as the elect of God (holy and beloved) bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering: to be kind and tender hearted one towards another: and above all things to put on Charity which is the bond of perfectness; endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, to which we are called in one body; there being, (& we all having) but one body, one spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and thorough all, and over us all ; I humbly refer it to the serious consideration of all pious and peaceable Christians, whether it can be any Church Goverment of Christ's invention, approbation, or institution fit to be embraced in any Christian Realm: wherein we should with one mind and one mouth glorify God; and all speak the same thing without any divisions among us, being perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. This God's own precept; and it shall be my daily prayer, it may now prove all our real practice. I shall close up all with this exhortation of the Apostle, necessary for our distracted times; If there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that you be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind, Let nothing be done (henceforth as to much I fear hath formerly been) through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem of others better then himself: Look not every man on (or after) his own things, but every man also on the things of others; And I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisions & offenses, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them; Follow after the things which make for peace, and such things only wherewith one may edefie another; laying aside all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, with all malice, covetousness, pride, and self seeking: which duly practiced will speedily reconcile and terminate all our differences, eternally unite us in a lasting bond of real Unity and brotherly love against our. Common enemies; who endeavor to ruin •• s by our unnatural sad divisions.