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A50159 A sermon before the provincial synod at Antrim preached June 1. 1698 / by Mr. John Mac-Bride ... MacBride, John, 1651?-1718. 1698 (1698) Wing M115; ESTC R14638 13,794 24

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this we say 1. Tho' this Assembly had in it some Men Extraordinary for their Office and Gifts yet did they not here meet or act as such but as Ordinary Church-Rulers which as Junius hath well observed so he hath sufficiently proved That the Apostles in all Constituted Churches did not act by Extraordinary Apostolick Authority but Joint with other Church-Rulers in an Ordinary Power and submitted to them Therefore we find the Apostles Peter and John sent from the Church of Jerusalem as Missionaries to Samaria Acts 8.14 And as we from hence prove against the Papists that Peter had no Supremacy over the rest of the Apostles because the Senders have Power over them they do send so their Subjection to that Church is hence evident It 's plain also from Peter's subjecting himself as aforesaid to the Trial of the Church at Jerusalem So Paul and Barnabas were subject to the Church of Antioch as appears from Acts 13.1 and also from this same Chapter which had not been had they acted by their Apostolic Extraordinary Authority wherein they were immediately subject to CHRIST only But that this Assembly was Ordinary is evident 1. From its Occasion which is Ordinary viz. a Heresie and Schism arising in the Church 2. Their Call to this Assembly was Ordinary the Church of Antioch Determined and Ordered Vers 2. Paul and Barnabas with certain others to repair to Jerusalem the Call of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem was of the same nature and therefore all but Ordinary 3. Their Constitution was Ordinary as consisting not of Extraordinary Officers only but of Ordinary Elders and Brethren also 4. These Ordinary Officers act with equal Authority as the Apostles do in this Synod the Synodical Act going out in their Name as well as the Apostles Vers 22 23. They joyn with them in censuring the Hereticks vers 24. Vers 28. They assert That it seems good to the Holy Ghost and us as well as the Apostles do and here give Commission to Paul and Barnabas c. as well as they 5. The manner of their Procedure in determining this Controversie was Ordinary not by Immediate Infallible Inspiration but by much Disputing and Reasoning vers 7. the several Apostles giving their Judgment according to Scripture wherein tho' they were not contrary to one another yet they differ'd and the Sentence of James finally acquiesc'd in not on account of Episcopal Authority as some would have it who to Exalt a Bishop would Degrade an Apostle but on Account of the strength of his Reasons and evidence of Truth from Scripture And altho' it be said vers 28. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost c. it will neither follow that Oecumenick Councils are Infallible as Papists teach nor that this Acted by an Extraordinary Apostolick Spirit For as Whitaker says Other Councils may in like manner assert their Decrees seem good to the Holy Ghost if they shall follow the same Method and Rule determine nothing but what is according unto the Revealed Will of GOD written in His Word which are called Words that the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 6. Had the Apostles determined this matter by their Extraordinary Infallible Spirit what need had the Infallible Spirit in Paul and Barnabas to appeal to the Infallible Spirit of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem Was the Spirit in Paul c. an Incompetent Judge and Inferiour to theirs Nay surely he might have as easily determined the matter at Antioch and saved the Labour of Travelling to Jerusalem Whence 't is plain they acted by Ordinary Means and Power in dependance upon GOD's Spirit promised to His Church by the best Rule His own Word A Second Question Seeing this Assembly was Ordinary Whether did it act only by way of Council and Advice or by Juridical Authority as an Assembly whose Authority obliged the Churches subject to them to Receive and Observe them To this we say 1. That the Authority of this Synod or of any other is not Civil either for Matter Manner or End nor had it or hath any External Coercive Power to inflict Punishments Corporal or Fines and Imprisonments but as their Power was Spiritual so it was to be Executed by Suitable Means 2. Nor was their Power nor is the Power of any Synod destructive of the Power of Inferiour Church-Assemblies but perfective and assisting to them For tho' a Superiour Assembly should rectifie the Mistakes of an Inferiour Assembly this doth no more deprive the Inferiour of its Power than he who would better inform a mistaken Man doth deprive him of the Power of his Judgment when he only help'd him to judge better 3. Their Power as that of other Assemblies was not Arbitrary to do as they pleas'd but Regulated by the Word of GOD for no Assemblies have Power but for Edification and no Foundation for this can be laid but the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles 4. Yet we Assert it was properly and truly cloathed with Authority to deliberate and determine in those matters that were before it and its Determinations as those of other Lawful Assemblies do did oblige those under their Care and Inspection Reverently to Esteem them and Dutifully to Obey them as far as agreeable to the Revealed Will of GOD. And this is plain 1. Seeing GOD hath Commanded Church-Rulers to Assemble hath promised His Spirit and Presence in their Assemblies and to Ratifie what they Bind or Loose it is clear that their Acts ought to be Obeyed else their Assembling is in vain nor could Controversies ever be ended if none be obliged to stand to the Determination 2. All Appeals should be needless tho' Nature's Light teach them Were Synods only Consultative they should be only like that which Lawyers call Arbitrium boni viri which a Man need not stand to unless he so please and therefore all Power of Arbitration ought to have some Juridical Authority accompanying it to make their Determinations obey'd else we shall be as when there was no King in Israel and no effectual Means provided for the Redressing Grievances 3. Seeing CHRIST requires that such as neglect to hear the Church be accounted as Heathens and Publicans it is plain they have Authority when such as disobey are to be punish'd for such their Disobedience And its unreasonable to suppose this peculiar to single Congregations for then CHRIST should have had more care of single Persons than of whole Congregations of Men if no Remedy be provided for Debates arising betwixt Congregations or Offences done by one to the other Yea even single Congregations themselves should have no Remedy if one part be Injurious to the other but they must Divide and so be Destroy'd as Instances could be given As to the particular Power exercis'd by this Synod and may be by others it appears to be first that called Dogmatick which is not a Power to forge new Articles of Faith or devise new Matter or Parts of Divine Worship but it is a Power to
Explain Matters of Faith and Rules of Worship according to GOD's Word to discover and declare the contrary Errors or Corruptions Thus they detected and declared and so by the Word of GOD prevented and removed the Corruption both of Doctrine and Worship which those Pharisaical Men were bringing in with a burden of Ceremonies hereby they pacify and strengthen the Church by securing to it that Liberty wherewith CHRIST had made it free 2. They Exercis'd that Power called Diatactick which relates to the External Order of the Church in Matters Prudential and Circumstantial which are to be determined by the Light of Nature and those General Rules prescribed in Scripture such as 1. That our great and chief End be GOD's Glory according to that 1 Cor. 10.31 2. That no Offence be given to Jew or Gentile or the Church of GOD according to Vers 32. 3. That all be done for Edification 1 Cor. 14.26 4. And in Decency and Order according to Vers 20. By these Rules are Church-Assemblies bound to walk which if they do Peace shall be on them as on the Israel of GOD. Thus this Synod decreed to frame their Decision in a Letter and to send it by fit Commissioners 3. They Exercised that Power called Critick or Disciplinary in Censuring those False Teachers as Subverters of Souls Men running unsent and Teaching what they had no Command for vers 24. And so may Assemblies Use and Exercise Censures provided it be done with Humility Moderation and Compassion and so shall the Church be preserved from Heresie and Schism This being our best Pattern I come to make some Application to our selves Use 1. Seeing GOD hath Commanded Nature's Light hath Directed CHRIST's Precept and His Apostles Precedent hath Authorized Assemblies of Church-Officers for its Safety and Edification we may meet in Faith having the Authority of GOD for our Motive and Warrant so to do and therefore may depend upon His Promised Presence with us and the hearing of our Prayers seeing what we do is not from a Principle of carnal Policy but in Obedience to our Great Master and for the Service of His Church under our care 2. We are hence informed That the want of a Call or Commission to Assemble from Secular Power we being permitted to meet doth not make our Meeting Unlawful before GOD as some may fancy nor doth the want of a Civil Sanction to our Acts make them void For this Assembly had neither yet was blessed of the LORD The Civil Magistrate we confess may and ought to call Ministers to their Work and protect them in it yet this is necessary only to the well-being but not to the being of such Meetings The Primitive Church for the first Three hundred years Enjoyed no such Priviledge more than we yet wanted not their Assemblies nor dare we condemn them as Unlawful and as we have reason to bless GOD that we are Permitted to meet in Peace tho' not Commanded so to do let us as we have hitherto endeavoured so behave our selves as to give no just ground of Offence for sure we can do nothing prejudicial to the Civil Interest if we keep within our own Sphere and pursue the just Ends of our Meeting which are the Preservation of Truth and Peace and promoting Holiness among our selves and those over whom the LORD hath set us for certainly such will be found the best Subjects who conscientiously mind these Duties 3. Seeing GOD hath Commanded Ministers to Assemble when it is necessary then such ought to make Conscience of Meeting when called and not to forsake the Assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is It 's true such as GOD hath Disabled to come are hereby Excused For the LORD Himself hath done it and who may say What doth He But those who are able to go about their own particular Affairs and yet excuse themselves from attending these our Assemblies seem to mind more their own things than the things of CHRIST Some indeed despise these Assemblies as being in their Opinion a Yoke but we have cause to bless GOD for this Yoke which ties us together binds us to our Work and strengthens us in the Performance thereof for by our Meetings GOD hath been pleased to preserve us in as great Unanimity of Judgment Unity of Affection Uniformity in all our Ministerial Actings as any such Number of such Men we know in the like Circumstances with our selves By these we have been helpt to mind the same thing and walk by the same Rule and by our united Care and Counsels in our darkest Times and greatest Dangers have been inabled both to avoid giving just ground of Offence and have thereby defended our selves our own and the Publick Peace have been considerably secured by these means when it hath fared otherwise in other places And Experience daily tells us that the Church shall never be Comely as Jerusalem Terrible as an Army with Banners while every small Company with their several Captains have sole Jurisdiction and no Common Councils kept for War or Peace no Subordination or Authority for Exercise of Discipline Redress of Grievances or Establishing of Order Had some of our Brethren what we Enjoy by these they would soon be more Terrible to their Enemies more Comfortable to their Friends more Peace should be in their Palaces and Prosperity within their private Walls 4. This also may convince us that CHRIST never Appointed His Church to be Governed by Sole Jurisdiction of single Persons for even in case of a private Offence He commands to tell the Church not any single Person howsoever dignified the Promise of His Presence is made at least to Two or Three gathered in His Name Matth. 18.20 As the Apostles with the Knowledge and Consent of the Church chose and ordained an Apostle Acts 1. so they would not exercise sole Jurisdiction even in the Ordination of Deacons Acts 6.3 6. The Apostles joyntly sent Peter and John to Samaria Acts 8.14 The Apostles and Brethren in Judea call'd Peter to Account in respect of his Carriage to the Gentiles Acts 11.1 2 18. It was the Church and not any one Church-man that sent Barnabas so far as Antioch Acts 11.22 Yea the very matters of Charity were managed by Common Consent for the Disciples in Antioch sent to Barnabas and Paul and the Elders at Jerusalem so that there was not so much as sole Jurisdiction in the Distribution of the Churches Charity Acts 11.29 30. Paul and Barnabas are sent by the Ministers of the Church of Antioch assembled Chap. 13. And here it is more evident than to be deny'd so that I would gladly know any Constituted Church within all the New Testament or Old when Church-Jurisdiction was exercised by any single Person And seeing our Laws and Law-Givers have thought it unreasonable and unsafe to trust the Legislative Power in the hands of any single Person or the Lives Liberties Limbs or Estates to any less than a Jury of Twelve Men then