same flock or societie in generall And so beleevers professing the faith and walking in holinesse may and ought to be admitted to the Seales as actuall members of the Church of Christ and sheep of his pasture though not set members of one congregationall Church 4. Not to insist upon this here that it hath and may fall out many times through ignorance rathnesse or pride of a prevailing faction in the Church that the true members of the Catholique Church and the best members of the Orthodox visible flock or Church of Christ may be no actuall members of any distinct Societie and shall they for this be accounted men out of Covenant and their posteritie be esteemed aliens and strangers but if they be in Covenant then are they holy in respect of the Covenant and their children holy as pertaining to the Covenant and have right to the Sacrament of initiation Thus Mr. Rob. frameth the argument The Sacrament of Baptisme is to be administred by Christs appointment and the Apostles example onely to such as are externally and so far as men can judge taught and made disciples do receive the Word gladly do beleeve and so professe have received the holy Ghost and to their seed And thus the Church of God ever since the Apostles dayes understood the covenant and promise and their practise in receiving beleevers and their seed to the Seales of the Covenant was answerable as might be shewed at large if it was not a thing confessed Hereunto you answer Answer VVHere the holy Ghost is given and received which was the case of the Centurion and where faith is professed according to Gods ordinance which was the case of the rest there none may hinder them from being baptised viz. by such as have power to baptise them In the Instances given baptisme was administred either by Apostles or Evangelists not ordinary Pastors the persons baptised if they were members of Churches had a right to baptisme in their state and the Apostles being Officers of all Churches might dispense the seales to them where ever they came which yet will not warrant ordinary Officers to do the same Nor is it improbable but that all these were in Church-order Aret on Act. 18. 1. is of opinion that the Centurion had a constituted Church in his house the Eunuches coming to Jerusalem to worship argueth him to be a Proselyte and member of the Jewish Church not yet dissolved and therefore upon the profession of the Christian faith capable of Church priviledges at that time As for Lydia and the Gaylor it appeareth that in the beginning of the Gospel there was a Church at Philippâ— which communicated with Paul as concerning giving and receiving As he expresly saith before his departure was from Macedonia which departure was immediately upon the Gaylors conversion In which respect what should hinder that Lydia and the Gaylor should first be joyned to the Church and then to be baptised though it be not mentioned in that story As neither there is mention of a Christian Church which Paul mentioneth in his Epistle to the Philippians At least it is probable that Lydia was a member of the Jewish Church because she is said to be one that worshipped God But if any man think they were not members of any Church yet baptised though we see not how it will be proved yet if it were so the object doth no whit weaken the argument which speaketh of the ordinary dispensation of the seales and not of what was done in an extraordinary way So that suppose that in the cases alledged baptisme dispensed to some that were not in Church-fellowship yet the examples of the Apostles and Evangelists in so doing will not warrant ordinary Pastors to do the like The reason of the difference why Apostles and Evangelists might administer Baptisme out of Church-order whereas Pastors and Teachers may not is double 1. Because their calling gave them illimited power over all men especially Christians wheresoever they came But we do not find that ordinarie Pastors and Teachers can do an act of power but onely over their own Church which hath called them to watch over them in the Lord. 2. Because they were assisted with an immediate direction and guidance of the holy Ghost in the places of their administration in the cases alledged But ordinary Church-Officers are to walke according to ordinary rules of the Scripture in the dispensation of the Seales and not to expect immediate inspirations and extraordinary revelations for their helpe in such cases This difference between Apostles and ordinary Church Officers must needs be acknowledged or otherwise a man might from their example justifie Baptisme in private houses Reply THis Answer stands of many parts wherein things doubtfull are affirmed and that which more weakeneth the force of the consideration before alledged and the Answer it selfe then of the reason whereunto it is applyed For First If where the holy Ghost is given and received and where faith is professed according to Gods ordinance there none may hinder them from being baptized viz. by such as have power to baptize them Then either men that have received the holy Ghost and professe the faith be members of the Church or Baptisme is not a priviledge of the Church then it is not essentiall to the first Institution of Baptisme that it should be dispenced to none but such as were entered into Church-fellowship or were set members of a congregationall Assembly Then the Apostles in dispensing the Seales unto such or commanding them to be dispenced did walk according to the rules of Scripture and upon grounds common to them and us viz. they admitted them unto the Sacraments who had right and interest to them according to the minde and pleasure of the Institutor not extraordinarily revealed besides the common rules or by speciall dispensation and prerogative excepted from the common rule but made knowne in the Institution it selfe And then the difficultie remaining is onely this whether a Pastor or Teacher hath authority from Christ to dispence the Seales of the Covenant to one who hath right and title to them and doth orderly desire that benefit because he is not as yet received as a set member of that particular societie which your practise in admitting of set members of other Congregations unto the Seales doth manifestly convince For if both have equall interest unto the Seales the Pastor upon lawfull suite and request hath equall authoritie to receive the one as well as the other Secondly In the particular Instances given it is not probable that Baptisme was evermore administred by Apostles or Evangelists For before the death of Christ the Disciples baptized when they were properly neither Apostles nor Evangelists After the death of Christ not to insist upon conjectures whether any assisted the Apostles in the baptizing of the first three thousand converted it is not certaine whether Peter baptized Cornelius and his family or commanded others then present with
receptacle of it and from it derived to others But this power must be in the communitie as the first subject from whom it commeth to the Officers As the power of seeing is not onely given in tuitu hominis as the end of it and the totum to whom it agreeth but is in homine as the first subject from which it commeth to the eyes The Apostles and other Governors were given of Christ for the Church as for their end and all their authoritie was given unto them for the Church as for the whole but the authoritie it selfe was immediately derived from Christ and is not in the Church as the immediate subject nor derived from the Church but from Christ the King of the Church The authoritie of Governors is given of Christ for a gift to the Church but not for a gift absolute that it may reside in the power of the whole Church to whom it is given but for a conditionall gift communicated to the Governors themselves for the good of the whole It is one thing then to aske for what end or use the keyes are given another to whom To every one is given the declaration of the Spirit for profit i. e. for the good of the Church But was this gift given to the communitie of the faithfull first and immediately No By gift and possession it was given to some but for use and profit it was publick After the Churches were established it tooke not effect for then it must be shewed where Christ committed the power of God first to the Apostles and after to the communitie of the faithfull But that is no where to be found in holy scripture The Ministers and guides of the Church were immediately of Jesus Christ from whom immediately they derive their power and authoritie by whom they are set over their charge in whose Name they must execute their office whose Stewards Legates and Ambassadors they are and unto whom they must give an account Yea Pastorship is the gift of Christ no lesse then Apostleship and that the more because it is perpetuall in the Church every Pastor is not immediately called but the Office and order of Pastors the calling authoritie and jurisdiction is immediately from Christ and not from the Church The Steward is appointed of the Master of the family alone and hath all his authoritie and jurisdiction from him Every Ambassador in the cause of his ambassage doth immediately depend upon him from whom he is sent But if the function order and authoritie of Pastors and Teachers be immediately from Christ then it is not received from the Church as the immediate receptacle Thus Protestant Divines dispute against Papists If Bishops receive their power and authority of exercising immediately from Christ by mandate mission and commission from him then they derive it not from the Pope And if Presbyters receive their order jurisdiction and power of execution from Christ by his mandate and Commission then they receive it not from the Bishop And by the same reason if the power of the keyes be the immediate gift of Christ to his Ministers then they derive not their power and authoritie from the people It is usually objected that the Church cannot convey what she never had but the people may Elect their Pastor Whereunto the answer is direct and plaine Nothing can give that which it had not formally or virtually unlesse it give it as an instrument ministring to one who hath it but so it may give what it never had nor is capable of A Steward may give all the offices in his Masters house as ministerially executing his Masters pleasure Electors have not evermore authoritie over him whom they elect but power and authoritie onely to apply that power to him whom they choose The power and authoritie whereunto a Minister is elected is not in the people that elect him but from Christ the King and head of his Church who out of power doth conferre that office upon him If we consider what men give or give not universally it must be deemed that any men can make Ministers because they give not the office gifts or authoritie which are from Christ alone 3. If Ecclesiasticall and spirituall power be in the multitude and community of the faithfull the Church doth not onely call but make Officers out of power and vertue received into her selfe and then should the Church have a true lordlike power in regard of her Ministers For as he that will derive authority to the Church maketh himselfe Lord of the Church so if the Church derive authoritie to the Ministers of Christ she maketh herself Lady and Mistris over them in the exercise of that authoritie over them For all men know it is the property of the Lord and Master to impart authoritie Did the Church give power and authoritie to the Pastors and Teachers she might make the Sacraments and preaching which one doth in order no Sacraments no preaching For it is the order instituted of God that gives being and efficacie to these ordinances And if the power of ruling feeding and dispensing the holy things of God do reside in the faithfull the Word and Sacraments in respect of dispensation and efficacie shall depend upon the order and institution of the Societie If the power of the keyes be derived from the community of the faithfull then are Officers immediately and formally servants to the Church and must do every thing in the name of the Church Rule feed bind loose remit and retaine sinnes preach and administer the Sacraments then they must performe their Office according to the direction of the Church more or lesse seldome or frequent remisse or diligent For from whom are they to receive direction how to carry themselves in their Office but from him or them from whom they receive their Office whose works they do and from whom they expect their reward If their power and office be of God immediately they must do the duties of their place according to his designement and to be accountable unto God But if their power and function be from the Church the Church must give account unto God and the Officers unto the Church whom she doth take to be her helpers If it be said that God will have the Church to chuse Officers to execute the power committed unto her The answer is either God will have her elect officers of his designement to do his work according to that power which he shall give them and by his direction and then they are God servants and not the Churches and receive their charge and function immediately from God and not from the people or he leaveth it to the arbitriment of the Church to chuse according to their pleasure such as must receive charge and authoritie from her And then they must execute their office in her name so as shall seeme good unto the Church and neither longer nor otherwise For if the Ministers of the Church
to be sinfully limited in the reading of them what is that to the faithfull This can be no just ground of the people 's not joyning with them in the worship of God for that offence is personall onely and not the sin of them that be present they joyn in prayer onely and not in his reading or limiting himself Not to say that every particular person must be herein both accuser and Judge If he give offence must they stumble at the stone and separate from the ordinance of grace wee should rather think it is their duty to look unto their feet that they goe not awry Let it be shewed out of the Word of God that either the Minister is guilty of giving unlawfull honour or that the people may lawfully withdraw themselves in case he should do so and we will then say as you do but untill that be proved being pressed and called to proffer our judgements we believe that separation is scandalous and sinfull never taught of God nor confirmed by the approved example of the godly in any age or time of the Church yea against the positive Law of God injurious to the Churches distracting Christians bringing contempt upon the Ordinances of God and defrauding believers of the spirituall food of their souls which is indeed to infringe their Christian liberty and what ever may be thought of it now in former times it hath been accounted no small offence Fiftly if this and such like scruples make it unlawfull to joyn in the ordenance of worship we must hold communion with no society under heaven For may not the brethren which hold all stinted Liturgies and set forms unlawfull say with like strength of reason It is unlawfull to joyn in conceived prayer with others if either they give too little honour to it as deeming the other lawfull or sinfully limiting or suffering themselves to be limited to one stinted forme though conceived at first by them selves And may not the brethren who hold a stinted forme lawfull in like manner object It is unlawfull to joyn in prayer with them because they attribute too much honour to conceived prayer as making their device and method the worship of God And may not the Brethren which hold it lawfull to use some selected prayers according to the forms among us upon the same grounds condemne communion with both sorts and all of them one with another because they either limit themselves too much or too little You say in the exposition of the first position many Preachers constantly use a set form of prayer of their own making before their Sermons must you not say upon this ground that it is unlawfull to joyn with them because they sinfully stint themselves In probability a Christian may presume that in the publike worship of God there will be through humane ignorance infirmity somwhat amiss for matter or manner or both that upon this ground he must joyn with no society in any part of Gods worshipat all The advancing of every small difference to this height is that which will bring all to confusion if men walk uniforme to their own principles It is well observed by Master I. Da. that unlesse men will yield so much favour each to other in some difference of opinions a dissolving not onely of Churches but of humane societies also must necessarily follow not onely not two Ministers but not two men should live together which were to put off even humanity it selfe Sixtly wee have credibly heard that you hold fellowship with professed rigid Separatists without any acknowledgment of their errour and receive them as members or communicate with them in the priviledges of the Church though you professe you approve not their opinion or practice And if in godly wisdome you can see grounds to joyn with them we marvell you should be so timorous in this particular Seventhly if you judge the practice of such godly Ministers scandalous to them that separate from the ordinance because it is not administred in this or that but in a stinted form It is a scandall taken and not given and by forbearing if to confirme men in errour be to scandalize them they should offend them the more yea they should prejudice the truth and it might be an occasion to beget needlesse scruples in others and draw them ignorantly from the fellowship of the Saints in the holy ordinances of God and strengthen them who by your owne confession are run too far into Schisme already III POSITION That the children of godly and approved Christians are not to be baptized untill their parents be set members of some particular Congregation IV POSITION That the Parents themselves though of approved piety are not to be received to the Lords Supper untill they be admitted as set Members Answ THese two Positions may be maintained with one and the same defence being somewhat coincident and therfore we joyn them as if they were but one Therefore to prevent all mistakes it may please you to take notice that we are not of their judgement who refuse all religious communion with such as are not Church Members nor doe wee appropriate communion in this priviledge of the seals only to the Members of our own Churches excluding all other Churches of Christ from the same though they may be through errour or humane frailty defective in some matters of order provided that the liberty of our Churches be preserved of receiving such satisfaction as is meet as well by Letters of recommendation or otherwise if it be requisite concerning those whom wee admit unto fellowship in the seals For as we account it our duty to keepe the unity of spirit inviolate with any in whom we discerne any fruits of the spirit so we hold our selves bound to discharge this duty according to order Spirituall cōmunion in prayers holy conferences other religious actions of like nature we maintain with al godly persons though they be not in Church order But Church communion we hold onely with Church members admitting to fellowship of the seals the known and approved orderly recommended members of any true Church But into fellowship of the censures admittance of members and choice of Officers onely the members of that particular Church whereof they and we any of us stand members These things being premised the considerations whereupon our judgement and practice is swayed for administration of the Seals onely to such as are in order of a true visible Church are these that follow Reply VVHat is here premised to prevent all mistakes doth seem more to raise then to abate scruples if we mistake not your meaning You refuse not all religious communion with all that are not Church members and so much they professe who formerly have gone for and professed themselves Separatists from our Assemblies You do not appropriate this priviledge of the Seals onely to the members of your own Churches excluding all other Churches of Christ from the same If your meaning be onely
then the words are more then superfluous Added they were to prevent the objection which you foresaw might be made from the Apostles practice and example but so as they cut asunder the sinews of the consideration it selfe and make it of no force For as those beleivers were of the Church so are approved Christians and their seed among us therefore the priviledges of the seales belong unto them 2 And as the seales so is the word of salvation preached and received a priviledge of the Church If by the preaching of the word you understand nothing but the tender of salvation or the publishing of the will of God concerning the salvation of man whether by private or publike persons it is not proper to the Church but an ordinance given for the gathering of men to the Church and not only for the edifying of the Church For the Apostles first preached to the Gentiles when Infidels that they might be converted And we doubt not but a Minister or private Christian comming into a country of Infidells may as occasion is offered and as they shall be inabled instruct and perswade them to receive the faith of Christ but if by the preaching of the word be meant the giving of the word to a people to abide and continue with them and consequently their receiving of it at least in profession then it is proper to the Church of God The word makes disciples to Christ and the word given to a people is Gods covenanting with them and the peoples receiving this word and professing their faith in God through Iesus Christ is the taking of God to bee their God The lawes and statutes which God gave to Israell was the honour and ornament to that Nation and a testimony that God had separated them from all other people even the Gentiles themselves being Iudges The word of reconciliation is sent and given to the world reconciled in Iesus Christ and they that receive the doctrine law or word of God are the Disciples servants and people of God In your second consideration you intimate that there is a two fold preaching the one by office and authority the other in Common charity or how ever else it may be called For thus you write God hath joyned to preach viz by office and to baptize together therefore we may not separate them Now to preach unto that is to instruct or counsell in charity is a duty which may be performed to an infidell but to preach by office is proper to them that are called to that office and so to be taught and instructed by Officers in the Church is proper to the Church To have pastors who shall feed with knowledge and understanding is a gift of matrimoniall love which God vouchsafeth unto his Church The Apostles first gathered Churches and then ordained elders in everie Citie or Church so that it is proper to the Church to be fed and guided by true spirituall pastors who teach and blesse in the name of the Lord. And if the word preached and received bee a certaine note of the true Church they that have intyrely received the word of salvation and have Pastors godly and faithfull to feede and guide them they and their seed have right and interest unto the seales in order Moreover the true worship of God is an inseparable and infallible marke of the true Church of God for where Christ is there is his Church This is the prerogative of the church The Prince shall be in the midst of them and he shall go in when they goe in c. And Christ saith where 2. or 3. are met together in my name there am I in the middest among them And for certain they are gathered in the name of Christ that being lawfully called doe assemble to worship God and call upon his name in the mediation of Iesus Christ In times past the Church was acknowledged by the feare of God and entyre Service of his Majestie by the professing of the true faith and faithfull calling upon Gods name The signes of Apostolike Churches are these The continuance in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer And if faith true and lively though mixed with many doubtings and errors make a man a living member of Iesus Christ the entyre profession of true faith joyned with holynesse of life in some measure answerable thereunto makes a man a true member of the visible Church And if the feales belong to the Church in right and orderly dispensation they that joyne together in the true worship of God according to his will with godly and faithfull pastors they have right and title to the Sacraments according to divine institution Thirdly that there is now no visible Catholike Church in your sense will easily bee granted i. e. there is no universall society consisting of all such as are accounted or to bee esteemed Christians subjected to one or many vniversall Pastors or guides wherwithall subordinates must communicate in some sacred things which may make them one Church and which may and can be performed by that vniversall and head Church only Such an vniversall Christian Church Christ never ordained no not in the dayes of the Apostles to whom all the care of all the Churches was committed The Churches planted by the Apostles had all the same substantiall lawes and customes the same guides and officers for kinde the same ordinances of worship and meanes of Salvation But one flock or Society in the fore mentioned acceptation they were not because they were but subordinate to one visible head Christ with which they were to hold union and communion in some worship to be performed by them all jointly assembled at some speciall solemnity nor subjected to the government of any supreame tribunall constantly to be erected and continued among them Neverthelesse in some respects of reason the visible Church may be called the Church sheepfold or flock of Christ for if the whole society or body mysticall of Christ be one this Church militant in like sort is one the unity of which society consists in that uniformity which all severall persons thereunto belonging have by reason of that one Lord whose servants they all are and professe themselves that one Spirit whereby they are animated as the body by one soul whereby they believe in Christ and which they acknowledge and professe that one Baptisme inward and outward whereby they put on Christ and are initiated This society is one in the inward fruition and enjoying of the benefits of Christs Death and Resurrection and in outward profession of those things which supernaturally appertain to the very essence of the Church and are necessarily required in every Christian this acceptation of the word is not unusuall in Scripture As God hath set some in the Church His bodies sake which is the Church The Church viz. whereof Paul was made a Minister and whereunto the rest of the Apostles were ordained
approved Christians members of our Churches comming over into New England shall desire either to have their children baptized or to be admitted themselves to the Lords Supper before they be set members of any society these we desire to know upon what grounds from God you can deny them if you acknowledge our Churches Ministery and Sacraments to be true and of God as you professe and the members of the Church be known and approved orderly recommended unto you It is the priviledge of Christians baptised themselves and walking in the faith that their children should have right to baptisme in all true Churches in the world It is the priviledge of Christians lawfully and justly admitted to the Lords Supper in one visible Church and walking in covenant with God that they have right to this priviledge in all Churches professing their intire faith and you must shew just and sound reasons from God of your judgement and practice in debarring their seed from baptisme and parents themselves from the Supper or else to use the words of a reverend Elder among you in a case of lesse importance and not concerning so many you will be found guilty of adding to the words and making eleven Commandements and setting up humane customes and selfewill against Gods appointment For the Sacraments are given to the Church as a priviledge peculiar thereunto but you deny this priviledge to the true visible members of the Church as your selves confesse For if the Ministers be the Ministers of Christ and their congregations the Churches of Christ then knowne and approved Christians are members of the Church In your opinion the members of the Jewish Church might be received unto baptisme upon confession of the Christian faith before they were entred into Church fellowship and it is more then strange to us that you should not thinke the true visible members of the Churches of Christ to have as much title and interest to the Seales as the members of the Jewish Church to the Sacrament of Baptisme 6 The distinct Churches mentioned in the New Testament it is not certain that they were congregationall societies consisting onely of so many as might and did meete together ordinarily in one place at one time for the publike worship of God and their own edification and if this were granted it would not carry the weight that was laid upon it But because it may make way for the clearing of some other points pertaining to discipline and Church orders we intreat leave to set downe and desire you to examine what may be objected against it We will not insist upon this that the least circuite wherein there is mention of Churches is ample enough to containe some diocesses and the least City populous enough to make many numbersome congregations Nor upon this that to meete at one time and one place as one assembly is a thing meerely accidentary to the unity of the Church and society Ecclesiasticall which is still one when they are dispersed asunder and no particular man of that society at first remaining now alive The number of beleevers was so great in some Cities as they could not conveniently meete in one place as one assembly to worship the Lord according to his will and for their edifying That there was a Church gathered in the City of Samaria by the ministery of Phillip will not be denyed for they received the word and were baptised but that the Church in that City was onely a congregationall assembly is more then can probably be concluded out of Scripture For the whole City or the greatest part could not ordinarily assemble in one place to their edification But the whole City of Samaria in a manner as it is probable imbraced the faith As the whole City from the least to the greatest had given heede to Simon Magus before so to Phillip now when he preached Christ And the Text saith expresly that Samaria received the Gospell The Christian Church at Ierusalem was one and distinct but it grew and increased first to 3000. then to 5000. afterwards multitudes of men and women were added and the multitude of Disciples increased it is also noted that a company of the Priests received the faith The Syriacke hath it of the Jews scil inhabiting Judea but the Greeke Arabian vulgar Chrisostoms Ethiopians approve the former and the number of the Priests was not small there is mention also of millions of beleevers And when all the Apostles or the greatest part of them remained at Jerusalem for a time continuing in the ministery of the word and prayer and that they might doe it the more earnestly and diligently left the care of the poore to others how can we thinke but that Church did grow exceedingly and the number of beleevers there to be more then could fitly meete ordinarily in one congregation Without question the number of beleevers in Antioch was not small of which it is said expresly that a great number beleeved turned to the Lord and that a great multitude was added to the Lord by the preaching of Barnabas and that Paul and Barnabas continued there one whole yeere preaching the word of God and teaching the multitude so that the Disciples were first called Christians at Antiach After that this Church was visited by Paul and Barnabas who continued there teaching and preaching the Word of God with many others also and may wee not thinke that this Church did quickly rise to such bignesse that they could not well assemble in one congregation as now wee call them It will easily be credited that the number of believers was not small at Ephesus if we call to minde that when Paul had been there but two yeers all they that dwelt in Asia had heard the word of the Lord both Iews and Grecians that a great doore and effectuall was opened to him at Ephesus That the art for making Shrines and Dianaes Temple was in danger to be set at nought and that those that had used curious arts came and burnt their books in the sight of all men which could not be done without great danger unto the Church unlesse a great part of the City had believed Where a Church did comprehend a City with its Suburbs and the Country circumjacent i. e. the believers who professed the faith within that circuit It might well be that the number did so increase through the extraordinary blessing of God which accompanied the preaching of the word in those primitive times and first planting of the heavenly Kingdome that they could not well meet ordinarily in one place and yet continued one Society For when a number is gathered in small Villages or some added to the number already gathered it is not meet they should be neglected because small nor divided from the body because the number not competent to make an intire and perfect body of it selfe The increase of the Churches doth require an increase of Elders and if they grow
to bignesse more then ordinary an increase of places for their assembling when the essence of the visible Church is not changed nor one multiplied or divided into many And it is more available for the good of the Church and further removed from all ambition if the Society shall assemble occasionally in divers places as parts and members of the body then to constitute a distinct free Society consisting of a few Believers not fit to make up an intire body contrary to the precedent examples of the Apostles In times of grievous and hot persecution the Churches of God could not assemble in any great number in publick places but have been compelled to meet in Woods Caves Dens and dark corners as the Lord hath offered opportunity one and the same Society in sundry places So that either it is not essentiall to the Church to meet together in one place ordinarily or their Society is broken off by persecution when their meeting together in one place is interrupted It is said by some where the Church grew greater sometimes by the suddain and extraordinary conversion of more then could well so assemble then was there presently a dispersion of the former and a multiplication of more particular Assemblies But in the Scriptures quoted no such thing doth appeare but rather the contrary as hath been proved In aftertimes when the Church was within the Cities as of Rome Ephesus Alexandria Carthage Ierusalem c. the number of Believers did greatly exceed the bignesse of a convenient and fitting assembly which might ordinarily congregate in one place to worship God according to his appointment when the Church was but one Seventhly Seeing then both the Seals in ordinary and in extraordinary dispensation belong to the Church id est to the faithfull and repentant taught made Disciples who have received the word believe and professe the faith have received the holy Ghost and walke in obedience who are members of other visible Churches or to be made members of a visible Church for the time being by admittance unto the Sacraments and not unto set members of congregationall assemblies only And seeing the godly and faithful Ministers among us are the true Ministers of Christ and their godly congregations true Churches and knowne and approved Christians true members of visible Churches formerly baptized and admitted to the Lords Supper This consideration is of no weight to justifie your opinion and practice in debarring known and approved Christians professing the faith members of the true visible Churches amongst us from the Lords Supper or their seed from Baptisme because they be not yet received as set members of some particular cōgregation amongst you And if such Believers are not to be received to the Seals we desire you to consider if ever the Sacraments of the New Testament were rightly dispensed in the Church of the New Testament from the first Plantation thereof unto this day The Seale doth follow the grant and as the Seale is prophaned if it be put to a false grant or Charter so are the faithfull wronged if the Seale in a lawfull way desired be denied to them that have received the grant i. e. have right unto Jesus Christ and communion with him But the faithfull who have received the word with gladnesse believe and professe be members knowne and approved by other visible Churches or such as desire to be admitted members of that visible Society for the time by communicating in the ordinance are already partakers of the grant or charter have right and interest in Christ may lawfully desire the Seals and may be admitted as members for the time being of that particular Society Therefore to debar such from the Lords Supper and their seed from Baptisme is against the Law of nature and the positive Law of God an injury to the faithfull and their seed a wrong to the Catholike visible Church that particular society and the Pastors themselves that so debar them They sinned grievously who deferred Baptisme to the end of their life and the negligence of Pastors and Teachers who did not instruct the ignorant and reprove the superstitious was great And is not the severity in debarring such as crave and desire to be admitted to the Seals an injury to be reprehended Answ 2 Confider the ordinary administration of the Seales is limited to the ministery and the ministery to a particular Church therefore the seals also must necessarily be proper to the Church and to the members thereof 1. That the administration of the seales is limited to their Ministery is evident from the first institution Math. 28. 19. where God hath joyned to preach viz. by office and to baptize together therefore wee may not separate them For howsoever any man may by the appointment of the Lord and Master of the family signifie his minde and deliver his message from him to the family yet the dispensing of a fitt portion of food to everie one of the houshold is a branch of the stewards office Indeed the keies are given to the whole Church yet the exercise and dispensation of them in this as well as in other particulars is concredited to the Ministers who are called to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 4. 1. And no Church office can be orderly performed by any but one that is called thereunto nor will God vouchsafe his presence and blessing wherupon all spirituall efficacy depends in an ordinance dispensed but when it is dispensed by those whom he hath ordayned and appointed therunto 2. That the ministery is limited to the Church appeares as from evident texts of Scripture so also upon this ground 1 The office is founded in the relation betweene the Church and the officer wherfore take away the relation and the office and the worke ceaseth For where he hath not power he may not doe an act of power and he hath no powerwhere he hath not a relation by office Herein the proportion holdeth between an officer of a towne corporate and of a Church that as the power of the former is only within his owne corporation so the power of the latter is confined to his owne congregation Reply THe proposition is granted that the dispensation of the Sacraments in the New Testament both ordinary and extraordinary is limited to the Ministery But in that you alleadge for confirmation somethings may be noted 1 The first institution of Baptisme is not contained in that passage Math. 28. 19. but confirmed For the seales of the New Testament were instituted by Christ before his death and his disciples had baptized many which they could not doe before the institution of the Sacrament Secondly we see not how you can apply that text to Preaching by office which according to our exposition must bee a dispensing of a fit portion of food to everie one of the houshould For it is plaine the Apostles were sent forth to preach to everie Creature or unto the world to convert men unto
relation to their flocks onely and must not meddle beyond their calling according to your tenent 11 There is no precept or example in Scripture more to warrant the admitting of a set member of one congregation unto the Supper in another or the baptising of his child occasionally in another assembly then there is for receiving of knowne and approved Christians and their seede that are not set members The Pastor is no more the pastor of the one then of the other nor the one more of his flock then the other neither of them set members and both sorts may be members for the time being and they most properly who are of longest abode among them But as we heare it is frequent among you as at Dorchester c. to baptise the children of another Assembly and usually you admit to the Supper of the Lord members of other Churches and therefore the Minister is not so limited to his particular Church or flock but he may dispence the seales to others which in this consideration is denyed 12 If the want of one Officer in a Congregation for a time may be supplyed by another as the want of the Doctor Ruling Elder or Deacon by the Pastor why may not the defects of some Congregation or Christians be supplyed by Pastors or Ministers of another Congregation when they are requested and desired the minde herein is godly and the means lawfull and well pleasing unto God 13 And if a Synod consisting of sundry members of particular Churches met together in the name of Christ about the common and publike affaires of the Churches shall joyn together in prayer and communion of the Supper wee can see no ground to question it as unlawfull although that Assembly be no particular Congregation or Church hath no Pastor over them make not one Ecclesiasticall body as a particular Congregationall Church unlesse it be for the time onely The Minister therefore may do an act of office to them that be not set members of his flock as he may stand in Relation to them for the time 14 Your comparison betwixt an Officer of a Town Corporate and of a particular Congregation is not alike unlesse you will say that a member of another Corporation occasionally comming into the Towne is thereby a member of that Society and subject to the authority of the Officer For so you professe that the members of one Society may occasionally communicate with another and so be subject to the Pastor for the time being which if you grant it overthrows the whole strength of this consideration Howsoever the comparison it selfe is very perilous if it be pressed For if the Officer of a Town Corporate presume to doe an act of power out of his owne Corporation it is a meer nullity but if a Minister of the Gospell dispence the Sacrament of Baptisme or the Lords Supper to believers of another Society though done without consent it was never deemed or judged a nullity in the Church of God Let the comparison hold good and most Christians have cause to question whether they be truly baptized or ever lawfully received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper If it may not be doubted whether ever the Sacraments of the New Testament were truly or by authority dispenced especially if we consider what follows in the other considerations This Argument from comparison is very usuall in the Writings of Brethren against communion with our Churches but for the most part greatly mistaken to say no more Answer 3 Consideration CIrcumcision and the Passoever were to be administred onely to the members of the Church Ergo Baptisme and the Lords Supper is so to be administred also The consequence is made good by the parity of these Ordinances For if the Argument hold strong for the proofe of Paedo-Baptisme which is taken from the circumcision of Infants why may we not as well infer a necessity of Church membership to Baptisme from the necessity of it to circumcision And that Circumcision was peculiar to the Church members of the Church may appeare in that persons circumcised onely they might eat the Passeover and they onely might enter into the Temple which were the priviledges of Church members In our answer to the second Objection against the first consideration we have shewed that Circumcision was not administred to all that were under the Covenant of Grace which all believers were but onely such of them as joyned themselves to the Church at first in Abrahams family whereunto Baptisme doth so far answer that the Apostle counteth these expresse equivalent to be circumcised in Christ with circumcision made without hands and to be buried with Christ in Baptisme Indeed in somethings they differ as onely the Males were circumcised whereas with us Females are also baptized The Reason is because God hath limited Circumcision to the Males but under the Gospel that difference is taken away Againe Circumcision was administred in the private family but Baptisme onely in the publick Assemblies of the Church The Reason of this difference is because they were bound to circumcise the Males on the eighth day but that could not stand with going to the Temple which was too far off for the purpose to bring every child thither from all parts of Judaea to be Circumcised the eighth day Nor had they alway opportunity of a solemne convention in the Synagogue on every eighth day when some child or other might be to be circumcised But there is no precise day set downe so Baptisme nor are opportunities of publick Assemblies so remote where Churches are kept in a congregationall frame but that every first day of the week Baptisme may be administred if it be required Again for the Aforesaid Reason Circumcision required not a peculiar Minister for ought we finde in Scripture but it is not 〈◊〉 in Baptisme as was shewd in the second Consideration But no good Reason can be given why in this they should not both agree viz. that they are both to be dispensed onely to members of the visible Church as it hath been proved in the first Consideration Reply THis whole Reason as it is propounded makes onely against it selfe who eveâ— thought that the Seals of the Covenant were not proper to confederates or thâ— Church of God But of old all visible Believers under the Covenant of Grace walking in holinesse were of the visible Church and in Church Order according to the dispensation of those times though not joyned in externall society with the Family of Abraham And to exclude Melchisedeck or Iob because they were nâ—â— members of the visible Church when yet they were visible Believers under the Covenant of Grace and in Church Order as those times required is well-nigh a contradiction And so it is to debar known and approved Christians members of ouâ— Congregation and their seed from the Seals because they be not of the visible Church for they are members of the Church and so to bee held and
ever in ordinary way the Sacraments were lawfully dispenced or received in the Christian Churches of God since the first foundation of them Now the premises being liable to so many exceptions the conclusion to be laid upon them will fall of it selfe And thereunto wee oppose the direct contrary That Infidels converted to the faith or godly Christians formerly visible beleevers knowne and approved members of Congregations professing the intire faith and joyning together in the lawfull use of the Sacraments for substance according to the Institution may and ought to desire and expect the Seales of the Covenant to be dispenced to them and to their seede though for the present they be not joyned into such Church-state and call of Ministers as you require Answer 7. Consideration THat our practise may not be censured as novell and singular give us leave to produce a President of the like care observed and approved by publick countenance of State in the dayes of Edward 6. of blessed and famous memory who in the yeare 1550. granted Johannes Alasco a learned Noble man of Poland under the great Seale of England libertie to gather a Church of strangers in London and to order themselves according as they should finde to be most agreeable to the Scriptures Among other godly orders established in that Church that which concerned the Administration of Baptisme to prevent the prophanation of it we will repeate in Alascoes owne words Baptisme in our Church saith he is administred in the publique Assembly of the Church after the publique Sermon for seeing Baptisme doth so belong to the whole Church that none ought to be driven thence which is a member of the Church nor to be admitted to it who is not a member of it truely it is equall that that should be performed publiquely in the Assembly of the whole Church which belongs to the whole Church in common Againe he addeth Now seeing our Churches are by Gods blessing so established by the Kings Majestie that they may be as it were one parish of strangers dispersed throughout the whole Citie or one body corporate as it is called in the Kings grant and yet all strangers doe not joyne themselves to our Church yea there are those who while they avoyde all Churches will pretend to the English Churches that they are joyned with us and to us that they are joyned to the English Churches and so doe abuse both them and us lest the English Churches and the Ministers thereof should be deceived by the impostures of such men and that under colour of our Churches wee doe baptize their Infants alone who have adjoyned themselves to our Churches by publique confession of their faith and observation of Ecclesiasticall discipline And that our Churches may be certaine that the Infants that are to be baptized are their seede who have joyned themselves thereto in manner aforesaid the father of the Infant to be baptized it possible he can or other men and women of notable credit in the Church doe offer the Infant to Baptisme and doe publickly professe that it is the seede of the Church yet wee suffer no stranger to offer Infants to Baptisme in our Churches who hath not made publique profession of his faith and willingly submitted himselfe to the Discipline of the Church lest otherwise they who present their children to Baptisme might in time plead that they belong to our Churches and so should deceive the English Churches and their Ministers To those which presented Infants to Baptisme they propounded three questions the first was Are these Infants which yee offer the seed of this Church that they may lawfully be here baptized by our Ministery c. Answer Yea. This Instance is the more to be regarded because Alasco affirmeth in the preface of that Book that this libertie was by the King granted to them out of his desire to settle alike reformation in the English Churches which in effect you see the same with our practise in this particular Reply THe practise of the Church of strangers in London recorded by John Alasco is farre different from your judgement and practise not in some by-circumstances but in the maine point in question for your judgement is that true visible beleevers baptized and partakers of the Lords Supper in other Churches not yet gathered into Church-estate or fellowship have no right or interest in the Seales they nor their seede But this Church of strangers held no such opinion as their own words which you have omitted doe plainly speake And Paul testifyeth say they that by Christs Ordinance the Church it selfe without exception of any member of it is to be accounted cleane or holy by the ministery of Baptisme Whence we may easily see that Baptisme doth neither belong to those who are altogether without the Church nor to be denyed to any member of the Church Secondly They held communion with the Church of England as one and the same with theirs For so they professe Yet neverthelesse that we may openly shew that the English Churches and ours are one and the same Church though we differ somewhat from them both in language and Ceremonies We doe not refuse that the English may as publick witnesses of the Church offer the Infants of our members to Baptisme in our Churches if they have both the use of our language and a certain testimony of their piety As in like manner our members are accustomed to offer the Infants of the English to Baptisme in the English Churches If your judgement be this of the English Churches your judgement in acknowledging us members of true Churches and practise in debarring visible beleevers and their seede from the Seales are opposite the one to the other Thirdly This order was observed by them to prevent the impostures of some who whilst they avoyded all Churches pretended to the English that they were joyned to the strangers and to the strangers that they were joyned to the English But you debarre knowne Christians who desire to joyne themselves with you not to prevent impostures of them who avoyde all Churches yea you debarre them as men having no right to the Sacraments because they be not in Church-fellowship and herein you can shew no president ancient or moderne either from Scripture or Monuments of the Church And as your practise is without example so without warrant from the word of God And this is the maine reason why we cannot consent unto you in this particular which we thus propound 1 Reason THat sacred order which God hath set in his visible Church for all his Saints to keep and walk by that is religiously to be observed But for men to set up that as a necessarie order which God never allowed approved or commanded is great presumption Now the Lord hath not ordained that a man should be a set member of a particular Societie or body politique of faithfull people joyned together in spirituall Church-fellowship by Covenant before he be admitted unto the Lords Supper
Baptisme the seed of the faithfull though as yet not set members of any particular societie In some circumstances there may be difference when yet the reason is strong if the difference be not in the very likenesse it selfe whereupon the reason is grounded One circumstance that is materiall to the point may overthrow the likenesse pretended and twenty different circumstances if they be not to the point in hand make no dissimilitude Now in this matter wee speake of no circumstance is or can be named why we should thinke it lawfull for the Apostles to baptize Disciples as yet being no set members of particular societies and the same should be unlawfull in all cases for ordinary Pastors in their particular Congregations though it be desired 3. What is done by extraordinary dispensation that is lawfull for them onely who have received such dispensation and by them cannot be communicated to others But the Apostles baptized by others seldome by themselves as hath been shewed 4. We might urge the rule which a reverend Elder among you giveth in another matter scil Those examples which are backed with some divine precept or which are held forth in the first Institution of an ordinance being part of the institution or which were the constant lawfull actions of holy men in Scripture not civill but sacred so binde us to imitation as that not to conforme thereunto is sinne For the Assumption to this Proposition it is plaine and naturall But the practise of the Apostles in receiving the faithfull Disciples c. is backed with divine precept held forth in the first Institution and was their constant lawfull practise agreeable to the practise of all others who were imployed in that service Ergo c. 5. In the first consideration you prove the Seales to be the priviledge of the Church in ordinary dispensation by this passage of Scripture Then they that gladly received the Word were baptized but if Apostles baptize by extraordinary dispensation in your sense this testimony is insufficient for that purpose 2 Reason OUr second reason In due order the Seales belong to them to whom the grant is given viz. Baptisme to the seed of the faithfull and the Lords Supper to beleevers able to try and examine themselves But the grant is vouchsafed to the faithfull and their seed forgivenesse of sinnes sanctification adoption and what other good things are promised in the covenant of grace are the grant or good things sealed in the Sacrament But those are granted to beleevers according to the covenant and they are so linked together that under one promised all are understood and if one be vouchsafed none is denied When God promiseth to circumcise the heart the forgivenesse of sinnes is implyed And when Circumcision is said to be the Seale of the righteousnesse of faith the circumcision of the heart by spirituall regeneration is included To whomsoever then the spirituall gift or inward grace of the covenant is given and granted to them the Seales of that gift and grant doth belong in their due order But the spirituall gift or grace which is the thing signified in the Sacrament is freely granted to true beleevers who have received the doctrine of salvation and walk in the wayes of truth and righteousnesse therefore the priviledges of the Seales belong unto them To this you answer The scope of the Apostle in the place Rom. 4. 11. is not to define a Sacrament nor to shew what is the proper and adequate subject of the Sacrament but to prove by the example of Abraham that a sinner is justified before God not by works but by faith Thus as Abraham the Father of the faithfull was justified before God so must his seed be that is all beleevers whether Jews or Gentiles circumcised or uncircumcised for therefore Abraham received circumcision which belonged to the Jews to confirm the righteousnesse which he had before while he was uncircumcised that he might be the Father of both but lest any one should think his circumcision was needlesse if he was justified by faith before circumcision he addeth that his circumcision was of no use as a seale to confirme to him his faith and the righteousnesse which is by faith yet as Justification is not the onely thing that Circumcision sealed but the whole Covenant also made with Abraham and his seed was sealed thereby so Abraham is to be considered in using circumcision not simply or onely as a beleever without Church relation but as a confederate beleever and so in the state and order of a visible Church Though the Apostle maketh mention of the righteousnesse of faith as sealed thereby which was not that which served for his purpose Now that Circumcision also sealed the Church-Covenant may appear from Gen. 17. 9. 10 11. where you may find that Abraham and his seed though beleevers were not circumcised till God called them into Church-Covenant and there is the same reason use of Baptisme to us which serveth to seal our justification as circumcision did yet not that alone but also the whole covenant with all the priviledges of it as Adoption Sanctification and fellowship with Christ in affections and the salvation of our souls and the resurrection of our bodies And not onely the covenant of grace which is common to all beleevers but Church-Covenant 1 Cor. 15. 19. Covenant also which is peculiar to confederates According to that of the Apostle By one Spirit we are baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. And by one bodie he meaneth that particular Church of Corinth whereunto he writeth and saith Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular ver 27. And ergo Church-membership is required as well to the orderly partaking of Baptisme as it was of Circumcision Nor do we find that circumcision was administred to all that were in the Covenant of grace as all beleevers were but onely to such of them as were joyned to the people of the God of Abraham Melchizedech was under the covenant of grace so was Lot so was Job and his foure friends yet we no where read that they were circumcised nor do beleeve they were So that if Circumcision was administred to none but those that were joyned together in Abrahams familie and to the Church of God in his seed then may not baptisme in ordinarie course be administred to any beleevers now unlesse they be joyned to the Church of Christ for parum par est ratio But the first is true Ergo the second also Reply THe particulars in this Answer hath been examined alreadie and might have well been passed over because it is tedious to repeat the same things againe and againe Two things are affirmed by you 1. That the scope of the Apostle Rom. 4. 11. was not to define a Sacrament nor to shew what was the proper and adequate subject of a Sacrament But this weakneth no part of the argument for if the Apostle do not fully define a Sacrament
the English Parishes compiled for the Churches use by other men not infallibly guided by God to be said or read out of a Book by their Ministers as the Churches Prayers And that this is your meaning may appeare from your Letter it self wherein you complain that divers in many parts of that Kingdome have left their Assemblies because of a stinted Liturgy Now we know not of any other stinted Liturgy from which the people do absent themselves but onely that which is in use in the English Churches For as for a forme of Prayer in generall wee conceive your meaning cannot be of that For it is evident that many Preachers constantly use one set form of Prayer of their own making before their Sermons with whom the people refuse not to joyn 2 By stinted and set you mean such Prayers as are so imposed upon the Churches and Ministers as that they are limited to that very form of words expressed in the Book without addition diminution or alteration for that Liturgy and forme among you is in this sense set and stinted 3 By unlawfull you mean that we looking at that form as swerving from the Rule neither dare first practice it our selves nor secondly approve the use of it by others This being the true state of the question so far as it appears to us from the letter We answer 1 For our own practice the Churches here doe not use any stinted forme of Prayer and set Liturgy for these and other such Reasons 1 Because we finde no necessity of any stinted Liturgy to be used among us by vertue of any divine precept And seeing the Commission of the Apostles limited them to â—each men to observe and do onely what Christ did command them in matters of this nature Math. 28. 20. Who are we and what are our Churches that we should presume above this Commission And we hope it will not be offensively taken by any godly Brethren That we stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free in this as well as in all other things Secondly because the lawfulnesse of set forms and stinted Liturgies is questioned and doubted of by many faithfull servants of God whereas for Church-officers to edifie the Churches by their own gifts as well in praying as in preaching all sorts without controversie grant it to be lawfull Now spirituall prudence guideth believers when two ways are set before them one doubtfull though ventured on by some the other certainly safe and good though neglected by many to choose that which is safe declining the other Thirdly Because Primitive paterns of all the Churches of God in their best times when as touching this point they kept the rule in their eye whether Jewish before Christ or Christian above a 100 yeers after Christ yield not the least footstep to shew us another safe way to walk in then this which we have chosen As for after times towards the end of the second and beginning of the third Century we know how far the Churches were then degenerated and declined from the first purity neither do we marvell at it seeing in the Apostles time the mystery of iniquity began to work and it was then foretold that the power of godlinesse would be in aftertimes exchanged for empty formes In which respect we look not at them as our guides neither in this nor other particulars not warranted by the Rule herein following the advise of Cyprian who himself saw the corruption of those times Non est attendendum quid aliquis ante nos faciendum putaverit sed quid qui ante omnes est Christus fecerit faciendum praeceperit To conclude seeing our Christian liberty freeth us from binding our selves to any religious observances whereunto the written word doth not bind us And seeing spirituall prudence directs us to choose those ways which on all hands are confessed to be sâ—fe avoiding those that be doubtfull and hazardous And seeing it will not be safe for us needlesly to swerve from the constant practice of all Churches that are recorded in Scripture and there held forth as a cloud of Witnesses for us to follow in matters of this nature wee therefore may not doe not dare not use set forms of Prayers and stinted Liturgies in these Churches More particularly in that we doe not use that forme of Prayer and stinted Liturgy which is in use among your selves these and such other like Reasons have induced us thereunto 1 The many and just exceptions whereunto that Liturgy is lyable both for matter and manner for the proofe whereof wee referre you to those faithfull servants of God who have gone before us in witnessing against the same Amongst others to Master Cartwright and the Abridgment 2 In as much as that Liturgy was never commanded of God and hath been greatly abused to Idolatry and Superstition and is not of any necessary use and therefore we are affraid to bring it into the Worship of God as knowing the jealousie of the Lord in matters of this nature Exod. 20 and how strictly hee commandeth his people that all monuments and remnants of Idolatry and Superstition should be abolished from among them Deut. 5. 25 26. Exod. 23. 13. Esay 30. 2â— 2 Cor. 6. 17. In which respect the holy Ghost hath greatly commended Iacob David Iehu Hezechia and Iosiah for taking away the remembrance of such things Gen. 35. 2 4. Psal 16. 4. 2 King 10. 26 27. 18. 4. 2â— all the Chapter And where other Kings of Iudah came short of the like zeale the Scripture notes it as a blemish in them that the high places were not taken away albeit the people did not sacrifice in them to false gods but onely to the Lord 2 Chron. 15. 17. 20. 33. 33. 17. Yea moreover it appeareth by the Scripture that somethings that had a good Originall and use if they be not still necessary and commanded of God are unlawfull when once they are knowne to be defiled by Idolatry and abused to it 2 King 18. 4. Hos 2. 16 17. As the brazen Serpent was at the first an Institution though but temporary but when the children of Israel burned Incense to it Hezechiah is commended for breaking it in pieces and the Lord witnesseth of him that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and according to his Commandement which he commanded Moses 2 King 18. 3 6. how much more in the like case ought other things to be removed which never were commanded of God but onely were devised by men And that that Liturgy hath been superstitiously abused may be cleer to any that shall consider that it is the same for substance that was used in the days of Popery And therefore when the Papists in Devonshire and Cornwall had made a Commotion and Rebellion upon the change of Religion in the days of King Edward the Sixth It was told them by the King for the pacifying of them That it was the self-same
by men of the same age and congregation and to be used but now and then or but once on set purpose and that either in publike or in private as elsewhere we may have occasion to shew You say it is evident many Preachers constantly use a set forme of Prayer of their own making before their Sermons with whom the people refuse not to joyne And you know we doubt not that such set formes are disliked also And if the grounds be examined in our understanding they make as much against the one as the other View but the reasons why you admit not a stinted Liturgie and forme of prayer and see whether the two last will not in the same terms directly conclude gainst both But what ever is to be thought herein or whether mens practises agree with their opinions we now dispute not This is plaine and manifest that mens opinions are to be judged by their expresse words and reasons not by their practises The Brownists as they are commonly called can separate from no stinted Liturgie amongst us but that which is in use and for ought we know they may joyne with their owne Pastors though they oft use the same forme of prayer in whole or in part in thanksgiving before meat or in prayer before Sermon or the like And yet their opinion is that all stinted Liturgies and set Formes of prayer be unlawfull humane inventions forbidden by the second Commandement But if any thing had beene left doubtfull in the Letter that it might be strained to another sence either because we were short in expression or many of you not informed in the passages which gave occasion to the question it is well knowne what the words meane in ordinary construction And we doubt not but many brethren among you might and could fully informe you of our meaning that there need no such straining to find it out That which followeth in your answer to the position as you interpret it wee passe over because it is not to the matter intended And wee are as unwilling to trouble you with the affaires of other Churches taking you from your owne weightie occasions as you are unwilling to be interrupted Onely in regard of promise and because plaine dealing serves to maintaine love we thinke good to advertise you these few things 1 That your reasons why you accept not of a stinted Lyturgie be ambiguously propounded for sometimes you plead onely for your libertie herein and that a stinted forme is not necessary and sometime you speake so as they that looke at Stinted Lyturgies as Images forbidden in the second Commandement will easily draw your words to their meaning 2 The reasons you bring against a set forme of prayer or Liturgie doe hold as strong against a set forme of Catechisme confession and profession of faith blessing baptizing and singing of Psalmes 3 Wee have not called upon you at this time to witnesse for or against the corruptions in the Communion-Booke This you fall upon by straining the sense of our demands contrary to the true meaning thereof The reasons which you bring against it we cannot approve them all The exceptions which have bin taken both from the matter and manner thereof we know But to esteeme the whole for some corruptions found therein a monument of Idolatry that we have not learned The Argument in the abridgement which is used against conformity to the Ceremonies did not in their judgement who were authors of the Booke hold against the Lyturgie of which opinion we are also 4 If these reasons be intended onely to shew why you receive not our forme of administration it is that which we are perswaded you know we never required of you If to disallow the use of the Booke amongst us altogether in things lawfull good and pertinent they will not hold weight 5 You are generally as you say loath to meddle with the affaires of other Churches unlesse you have been necessarily called thereunto But when some upon the request as we suppose of private friends and others out of their zeale and forwardnesse have laboured to draw many to separation from the Sacrament because ministred in a stinted Lyturgie wee cannot apprehend any just ground of this apologie The Rent is wide and some brethren had their hands deepe therein which made us at this present to crave your judgements and the reasons thereof to make up the breach 6 I. D. objecteth to Master P. that his manner of preaching was disorderly in carrying that matter he speakes of to the Classes before he had declared to the Church the equity of his refusing the Ministers desired by the Scriptures And may not we with like reason object that this manner of proceeding is disorderly in seeking to draw men to Separation because of stinted Liturgie before you had shewed to us or other brethren whom it may concerne by Scripture or reasons drawne from thence that a stinted Liturgie was unlawfull but of this wee may intreat more fully elsewhere II. POSITION That it is not lawfull to joyne in prayer or receive the Sacraments where a stinted Liturgie is used or as we conceive your meaning to be in this as in the former question viz. where and when that stinted Liturgie is used Answer IT seemeth by this your letter the ground of this Position hath beene the separation of divers from your assemblies because of a stinted Liturgie and we are not ignorant of the rigid separation of divers people who withdraw themselves from an able faithfull ministry as no ministry of Christ and from their godly congregations as no Churches of Christ because of some corruptions from which through want of light not love of the truth they are not throughly cleansed Against which practise we have ever witnessed As for our Judgement concerning the Position it selfe we would promise two things First concerning the persons reading this Liturgie which may be either an ungodly or unable Minister or an able and a godly Secondly concerning the Liturgie it selfe which may be either of the whole or some select prayers which may be conceived to be the least offensive Now if the question be of joyning in prayer with and when that whole Liturgie is used or where that which is used is read by an unable and ungodly Minister we then see not how it can be lawfull to joyne in prayer in such cases For 1 The prayers of the Minister are not his private prayers but the publike prayers of the whole assembly whose mouth he is to God And when the prayers offered up by the Minister as a living holy and acceptable service to God are not through humane frailty but otherwise for matter and manner corrupt wee see not what warrant any one hath to joyne with such prayers Mal. 1. 13. 14. 2 When men ioyne therein with an insufficient Ministry they doe not only countenance them in their place and office whom the Lord hath rejected from being his Priests Hos 4. 6. but also set
faults such as one Christian cannot or must not tolerate in another without breach of charity For if the errour be such as may be tolerated and I am called to be present by such fault I am not defiled though knowne before If the error be such as in conscience may not be tolerated though not knowne before hand I am bound if present some way to professe against it This distinction of personall and ministeriall faults in this case untill it be cleared by some Text of Scripture or sound reason from the word must goe for the devise of man A Church a Minister or a Christian may be stiffe in an error being misperswaded it is a truth after many meanes long used to convince them with whom yet we must hold communion in the ordinances of Religion and the error may be such as we cannot without hypocrisy or denyall of the truth hold communion though such meanes of conviction have not gone before But the corruptions alleadged against our forme of prayer for matter or manner are such as one Christian may and must tolerate in another where he hath no power to redresse them Hath not Christian wisdome and experience of humane frailties lessoned you deere brethren to beare one with another in matters of greater consequence then any have or can be objected truly against the form of prayer in use among us And why such corruptions should not be ascribed to humane frailty we see not For if a godly Minister make use of a book in things which he judgeth lawfull for matter and manner the corruption in him that useth it according to his judgement from what cause can it spring but humane ignorance and frailty We rest assured you question not the integrity of many who make much more use of the booke then onely in a few select prayers From the bottome of our hearts we desire and pray that God would remove out of his Church and worship whatsoever offendeth for matter or manner and that all things may be so done not onely that they may be tolerated but that they might be approved in the conscience of all men But we are perswaded that not onely some few select prayers but many prayers other exhortations may lawfully be used with fruit and edification to Gods people To aggravate faults especially when it tends to draw away people from the Ordinances of God is no lesse fault then to excuse them it may be greater and therefore we dare not esteeme the prayers read by a godly and faithfull Minister according to the booke in use among us a corrupt sacrifice whether in such as read them or them that be present In them that join according to Christs command and liberty of absence from Christ hath not beene shewed notwithstanding the corruptions we hold the prayers to be an holy and acceptable sacrifice to God and pleasing to Jesus Christ The corrupt sacrifice is that which the deceiver bringeth voluntarily and out of neglect having a male in his flock but the faithfull bringeth himself and his godly desires according to the will of God and as for corruptions whether respecting matter or forme they are none of his they cleave not to his Sacrifice to staine or pollute it As for the Text of the Prophet Mal. 1. 13 14. it is cited by many in this businesse and to many purposes applyed but we cannot finde that in the Prophet for which it is here brought The deceiver is accursed that offereth a corrupt thing to the Lord. This we reade and beleeve but that a godly man being present at this forme of prayer among us read by a godly and faithfull Minister is the deceiver who offereth a corrupt thing unto the Lord that is not proved No argument can be brought from this place to the purpose but by analogy which is a kinde of arguing of all other most ready at hand but lyable to most exceptions and apt to draw aside if great care be not had which in this place we finde not to take the proportion in every materiall point just and right And we desire such as alleadge this passage of Scripture against simple presence at the prayers of our Liturgy advisedly to consider whether God allow them to make such application of his truth which wee much doubt of to say no more Your third proposition That as you are very tender of imputing sinne to those men that joyne in some select prayers read by an able and godly Minister so on the other side you are not without feare least such joyning may be found unlawfull unlesse it may appeare that the Ministers with whom the people have communion in reading those Prayers neither give any scandall by reading them nor give unlawfull honour to a thing abused to Idolatry and Superstition nor doe suffer themselves to be sinfully limited in the reading of them 1 We cannot conceive how you should imagine the practice of a godly Minister in reading some few select prayers to be scandalous or offensive in their congregations when the people generally not in their assemblies onely but throughout the whole land were perswaded of the lawfulnesse of that course till now of late some have beene drawne away to separate who yet by warrant of Scripture produce nothing of weight to countenance that practice 2 If the booke should be as you take it an idolathite latent offence doth not oblige If any man say unto thee this is sacrificed to Idols eat it not so that if it doe not manifestly appeare that this practice is scandalous it is not lawfull for the people to withdraw themselves 3 The book we speake of the Liturgie so far as it is sound and good by your confession is no Idolathite neither was it taken out of the Masse-book in such sense as you object but rather the masse other Idolatrous prayers were added to it for popery is as a scab or leprosie cleaving to the Church and many truths belonging to the Church as her proper legacie were stollen and heaped together in that denne And why the true man may not challenge his goods where ever he finds thē or the thiefe plead title to the true mans goods by prescription we know not It is no hard taske to shew that our Service-booke was reformed in most things according to the purest Liturgies which were in use in the Church long before the masse was heard of in the world And if that could not be shewed yet formes of speech generally taken we speak not of this or that speciall word or phrase is no more defiled by Idolatry then the light aire or place where Idolatry is committed It is not unlawfull to pray Lord helpe or Lord have mercy or to give thankes praised bee God because the Papists say Lady helpe or praised be God and the Virgin Mary Fourthly Put case the Minister in reading such prayers gives offence or attributes unlawfull honour to a thing abused to Idolatry and Superstition or suffer himselfe
this that you deny not the Sacraments administred in other Churches to be the true Sacraments of Christ for substance then you ascribe little more to the Churches of Christ in this then to the Synagogue of Satan the Church of Rome For you will not deny Baptisme administred among them to be true for substance If you deny not to have fellowship with them in the Scals and to admit them to the Sacrament and to communicate with them then either your judgment is contrary to your practice or you exclude the Churches of England from the number of true visible Churches of Christ which is to destroy what you formerly builded and here professe All possible care to keep the Ordinances of God from contempt we allow and commend provided you go not beyond the Lords warrant and deny not the priviledges of the Church to them to whom they are due by divine appointment nor the name and title of Church to those societies which God hath plentifully blessed with means of grace have received the Tables and Seals and have entred into Covenant with his Highnesse Your liberty to receive such satisfaction as is meet is not called into question nor whether you are to keep the bond of the Spirit inviolate according to order But whether this be to keep the bond of the Spirit inviolate viz to exclude from the Sacrament true visible believers or knowne recommended Christians formerly members of visible Churches among us and their children because they are not members as you speak in Church Order And whether God alloweth to put this difference between Church mēbers of your societies other visible believers walking in holines though not admitted members of any society according to your Church order as to receive the one though members of another society unto the Seals and to debar the other and their children These are the things to be considered in these present positions And first we will examine your Reasons for your judgment and practice by themselves and then so far as we judge meet try your answers to the objections you make against it 1 Consideration THe Seals Baptism the Lords Supper are given to the Church as a priviledge peculiar therto in ordinary dispensation Indeed the preaching of the word is not so being an ordinance given not onely for the edifying of the Church already gathered but also for the gathering of men to the Churches that yet are without wheras the dispensing of the Seals is Gods Ordinance given onely for the edifying of the Church being gathered and not for the gathering of it And because there is now no universall visible Church on earth wherein the Seals are dispenced there being no place nor time nor Officers nor Ordinances appointed in the New Testament by Christ our Lord for any such Assemblies as the Iewes had under Moses It remains that the Christian Churches whereunto these priviledges were given are congregationall consisting onely of so many as may and do meet together ordinarily in one place for the publike worshipping of God and their own edifying Hence it is that we read so much in the New Testament of the Churches in the plurall number the Churches of Christ the Churches of God the Churches of the Saints and not onely when they were of divers Nations the Churches of the Gentiles but also of the same Nation The Churches of Iudèa and not onely when that Country was of large extent and circuit the Churches of Asia but also of a small part of the Country The Churches of Galatia yea when congregations in severall Cities are spoken of They are called Churches as the Churches of Ierusalem the Churches at Antioch To wind up all seeing the Churches in the Gospell are congregationall and that Baptisme and the Lords Supper being Church priviledges belong onely to the Churches it will follow that as City priviledges belong onely to Citizens and their children so baptisme and the Lords Supper being Church priviledges belong onely to the members of particular Churches and their seed And that seeing sigillum sequitur donum to apply them to others what is it but to abuse them As a seal of a corporation is abused if added to confirme the grant of priviledges which are peculiar to any Towne corporate to one that being no free-man of that corporation is uncapable thereof Reply IF by the Church be understood the Society of men professing the entire faith of Christ the seales are given unto it as a peculiar priviledge but if by the Church you understand onely a congregationall assembly in Church order the seales were never appropriated to it But to examine every thing in order as it is propounded 1 The Seales Baptisme and the Lords Supper are given to the Church as priviledges peculiar thereunto not onely in ordinary as you say but also in extraordinary dispensation True baptisme is not without the Church but within it an ordinance given to it and they that are baptised must needes be of a Church The Sacraments are the seales of the Covenant to the faithfull which is the forme of the Church and when for substance rightly used tokens and pledges of our spirituall admittance and entertainment into the Lords family and Symbolls or testimonies whereby the people of God are distinguished from all other Nations This is most certain as in the ordinary so in the extraordinary dispensation of the Seales as is confirmed by the Texts of Scripture alleadged in the Margine For the Apostles as you say dispenced the seales in an extraordinary way but the seales dispenced by the Apostles were Seales of the covenant priviledges peculiar to the Church priviledges of spirituall admittance and entertainment into the Lords family And when you say the dispencing of the Seals is an Ordinance given onely for the edifying of the Church being gathered and not for the gathering of it must it not be understood in extraordinary dispensation as wel as ordinary To what pupose then are those words in ordinary dispensation added to the proposition if thereby you would intimate that the Sacraments be not the peculiar priviledges of the Church and Seales of the Covenant in extraordinary dispensation it is evidently crosse to the Text you cite and to your selves afterward If your meaning be that in ordinary dispensation the Sacraments doe of right belong to them onely who bee set members of a visible congregation it is all one with the conclusion that which is in question and should be proved and that which this very Scripture doth plentifully disprove ' for they that were baptised were not set members of a particular congregationall Church whereunto they were baptised nor in a Church way before baptisme as is evident and granted by the most of your selves but by baptisme solemnly admitted into the Church and then it is not for your purpose or they were set members as some of the brethren seeme to contend in answer to the objection framed against this consideration and
which was the Catholike visible Church the society of men professing the faith of Christ throughout the world divided into many particular Churches whereof some are pure others impure some more others lesse sound Hereunto it may be added that every multitude and society of believers are indefinitely called the Church I persecuted the Church of God The house of God which is the Church of the living God In which sense all the Churches in the world may truly be called one And thus the Apostle Peter writing to many dispersed Churches who could not assemble in one place nor be fed by one Shepherd speaketh of them singularly as one flock Feed the flock of God which is among you But that flock are the strangers dispersed through Pontus Galatia Asia Cappadocia and Bythinia which could not possibly joine together in the Ordinances of Worship or make one distinct congregated assembly And if the Catholike Militant Church be one Society the Seals that are given as a prerogative to the Church are given unto it and the true Members of the Catholike Church have right and title to them in due order though they be not admitted into the Church fellowship you speak of For as the flock or society is one so is the Ministery Faith Covenant and Sacraments which are given as a communion prerogative unto the whole Church and not appropriated to this or that part ormember as separated from the whole which is further evidenced hereby that sometime it hath and too often it may fall out that a Christian may be a true member of the universall visible Church i. e. he may hold professe and maintain that holy Catholike Faith pure and undefiled without which no man can be saved who for the present is no actuall member of any particular or visible society in Church order As for example a man may be cut off by Excommunication from all commerce with the present visible Church wherein hee was bred and born when hee is not cut off from the Catholike Orthodoxall Church Hee may be deprived of participation of the Ordinance in every particular society when his right and title to them is much better then these who have most injuriously cast him out or debarred him of the means of salvation The communion of Saints whether visible or invisible is the effect and property of the Church Catholike and agreeth to the severall parts and members thereof as they be members of that body under the head and if particular Churches have communion together it must of necessity be that they bee parts and members of the whole body which is one 4. Though there be no universall congregation or assembly nor can be imagined yet there are and have beene many visible assemblies or societies true Churches of Christ to whom the Prerogative of the Seals is given which have not beene united and knit together in Church-order into one congregationall body or society For every society in covenant with God is the true Church of God for what is it to be the flock people or sheepe of God but to be the Church of God And where there is a Covenant there is the people of God They that are of the faith of Abraham are the children and seed of Abraham and within the Covenant of Abraham though but two or three and so of the same Church with him by that covenant The communication and accepting of the tables of the covenant is an undoubted token of a people in covenant or confederate but every society professing the true and entire faith joyning in prayer and thankesgiving receiving the truth of God to dwell among them and in some measure conforming themselves to the obedience of Gods Commandements is in covenant with God It is simply necessary to the being of a Church that it be laid upon Christ the foundation which being done the remaining of what is forbidden or the want of what is commanded cannot put the society from the title or right of a Church For Christ is the foundation and head corner stone of the Church and a people comming unto Christ united unto him built upon him having communion with him and growing up in him are the true Church of God and if the seals be annexed to the covenant by God himselfe as we cannot deny a people in covenant to be the Church so we must not deny their right and title to the Sacraments If therefore the meaning of the proposition be that the seales be given to the Church that is to true and sound Christians and people in covenant with God as a priviledge whether in ordinary or extraordinary dispensation we accept it as good and sound but it makes against your judgement and practice in keeping away such as have right and title to the ordinances If you meane the seales are given to the Church that is onely to set members of some particular society combined by covenant as it is among you we cannot receive it because it implieth a distinction not taught in Scripture and crosse to your selves And for the thing it selfe the Scripture hath nothing but many things against it as hath beene shewed 5 If it be granted that the seales are the prerogative of a particular visible Church known and approved Christians among us and their seed are members of true and visible Churches and so to be esteemed among you before they be entred into Church membership as you call it For every society professing the intire and true faith and joyning together in the right use of the Sacraments in matters substantiall is the true Church of God and every visible beleever receiving the word and professing the true intire faith admitted to the right and lawfull participation of the Sacraments is a visible member of the true Church if he have neither renounced that society nor deserved justly to be cast out by excommunication or Church censure For the intire profession of the truth the dwelling of the truth among men the right use of the Sacraments which is ever joyned with truth of Doctrine and to be esteemed by it is proper to them that be in covenant with God And they that truly partake of the Seales must needes be of a Church for the seales are not without but within the Church an ordinance given unto it and if they be true members of the true Churches of Jesus Christ other Churches are bound to hold communion with them in the ordinance of worship as divine providence shall minister occasion In answer to the ninth position you say the members of other Churches well known and approved by vertue of communion wich Churches doe mutually and with good acceptance communicate each of them at others Churches even so often as Gods providence leads them thereunto and themselves desire it In your preface to this consideration you say you admit to fellowship of the seales the known approved and orderly recommended members of any true Church and if knowne and
God to make them disciples and not to preach unto disciples only or members of the houshould The Apostles certainly had authority and preached by authority but they preached not to Infidells and Heathens as to disciples or members of the Church much lesse did they give a portion to them as to the houshold which is the preaching by office which you acknowledge Thirdly if under the power of the keyes you comprehend preaching by office dispensing the seales casting out and receiving againe into the bosome of the Church wee deny the power of the keyes to belong to the Church or community of the faithfull we cannot find in Scripture that Christ ever granted such power to the faithfull as faithfull joyned together in Covenant in those passages which speake of this power the execution of this authority is given to them to whom the authoritie is committed If the power of the keyes be given to the whole Church the Apostles themselves must derive their authoritie immediatly from the Church and not from Christ for the power must be derived from them unto whom it was given but their power and authority was not from the Church but from Christ immediatly And if the dispensation and exercise of the keyes be concredited to the Ministers Doth it hold in all things or onely in the dispensation of the Sacraments and preaching by office Doe they dispense the seales as the Stewards of Christ from whom they receive their authority immediately or as the servants of the Church from which they derive their authority If in the first sense the power of the keys is not in the community of the faithfull If in the second the office of a Minister is not the immediate gift of Christ nor the Minister so much the servant of Christ as of the Church from whom he must receive lawes in whose name he must doe his office and to whom he must give an account We could wish you had explained in what sense you hold the dispensation and execution of the power of the keyes is concredited to the Ministers and by whom For if the community of the faithfull have to doe in all matters concerning the body to admit members and cast them out to make and depose Ministers to bind and loose by authority derived from Christ wee cannot see how in your judgement the dispensation and execution of the power of the keyes is concredited to the Ministers Fourthly That which you add that God will not vouchsafe his presence and blessing to an ordinance but when it is dispenced by those whom hee hath ordayned and appointed thereunto must bee warily understood or it may occasion errors and distractions not a few You know what corruptions soone entred into the Church of God both in respect of Doctrine Worship Offices and entrance thereunto and how ready and apt is the conclusion from your words That Christ hath not vouchsafed his presence and blessing in his Ordinances to his Church But of this before And on the contrary seeing God hath vouchsafed his blessing in his Ordinances dispensed by your selves when you stood as visible Ministers in the congregation and Churches of old England you must confesse did approve both your standings and his Ordinances dispensed by you Secondly as for the Assumption that Pastors and Teachers are limited to a particular charge or society but that flock is not ever one congregationall assembly meeting in one place neither the band so streight whereby they are tied to that one society that they may not upon occasion performe some Ministeriall Act or Office in another congregation or to them that be not set members of their proper assembly For first to dispence the Seals of the covenant is a ministeriall act an act of Office and not an exercise of gifts onely But the Pastors of one Assembly may dispence the Sacrament to the set members of another society upon occasion as you confesse in this and in your answer to the ninth position And if the members of one Church may lawfully upon occasion receive the Sacrament of the Supper in another society from the Pastor thereof then may the Pastor of one congregation performe a Ministeriall act to the members of another and if to the members of another then in another congregation with consent and upon occasion Secondly As the Ministers are exhorted to feed their fleek so is every Christian and Minister to try and examine himselfe whether hee be in the faith but you will not allow this conclusion I must examine my self Ergo no man is debarred from the Sacrament for his unworthinesse or to be tried or examined by others to be observed admonished and brought to repentance for notorious sin No more can it be rightly gathered from the former passages of Scripture that the Minister is not upon occasion to performe any Ministeriall act to any other people or society because ordinarily he is to attend his own flock Thirdly As the Ministers have peculiar relation to their particular flocks so the people unto their particular Ministers unto whom they are ried in speciall manner as to their Overseers who must give account for theirsculs And if this peculiar relation betwixt the people the Minister doth not hinder the people from receiving the Lords Supper at the hands of another Minister nor the minister from performing the Ministeriall act to the members of another congregation Neither doth his peculiar Relation to his own flock hinder him from administring unto others upon just occasion being intreated thereunto As the combining of the people to their peculiar Minister doth not quite cut off their communion with other Ministers so neither doth the restraining of a Minister to a peculiar flock quite cut him off from administring upon occasion unto another people Paul appointeth the Ephesian Elders unto the care charg onely of their own particular flock but so to attend them ordinarily according to the rules of the Scripture that as occasion was offered might performe some Ministeriall acts in another congregation The taking heed unto their flocks which Paul requires in this place doth cōprehend under it the administration of the Word Prayer and Sacrament and if it must be restrained to their owne particular Churches onely it is unlawfull for a Pastor to preach or call upon the name of God in any publike Assembly save his own upon any occasion as these be duties prtaining to common confession or profession of faith Ordinary Pastors and Teachers it is true are not Apostles who are to go from place to place from Country to Country to plant and erect Churches but they are tied ordinarily to one flock as the Text proveth and to which purpose it is commonly cited But that a Pastor is so tied to his flock that he can perform no ministeriall act to any other upon any occasion that it proveth not nor can we find that it was ever so understood by Divines ancient or modern
W. B. telleth us the learned bring these allegations to this purpose But the authour in alledging the consent of the learned was very carelesse or much abused for there is not one that speaketh to the purpose I. D. disclaimeth that position and for the rest it is a matter notorious they were never thought to be of that opinion and wee doubt not if any could be named to free this allegation from suspition of Novelty you would have cited one or more as you have done in that which followeth Feed the flock of God saith Peter But he speaks of all those dispersed Churches to whom he writes which he calls a chosen Generation a Royall Priesthood a peculiar people And in some respect of reason under which we may apprehend them are one flock but not really as combined under the same Pastor or meeting in one place And as these dispersed believers or socieities make one Flock so the Ministers attending their flocks or societies and the Ministery exercised by them is or maketh one 4 A Minister chosen and set over one society is to looke unto his people committed to his charge and feed the flock over which the Lord hath made him overseer but he is a Minister in the Church Universall for as the Church is one so is the Ministery one of which every Minister sound or Orthodox doth hold his part and though he be Minister over that flock onely which he is to attend yet he is a Minister in the universal Church The functiō or power of exercising that Function in the abstract must be distinguished from the power of exercising it concretely according to the divers circumstances of places The first belongeth to a Minister every where in the Church the latter is proper to the place and people where hedoth minister The lawfull use of his power is limited to that congregation ordinarily The power it self is not so limited and bounded In Ordination Presbyters are not restrained to one or other certaine place as if they were to be deemed Ministers there onely though they be set over a certain people And as the faithfull in respect of a community betwixt them must and ought to performe the Offices of love one to another though of different societies so the Ministers in respect of their communion must and ought upon occasion to performe ministeriall Offices towards the faithfull of distinct societies 5 If this be not so what shall become of the poore flock when the Pastor is driven away by personall persecution so that he cannot if others may not afford them helpe and succour what when the congregation it selfe is dispersed must no sheepherd receive them into fold when they are driven from their own or neglected by him 6 If the Pastor may be absent from his flock upon necessary just and weighty occasion respecting his own good the good of that society or the common good of Churches consociate then may the Pastor the society the Churches procure some man to supply the defect and doe the office of a Pastor preach the Word pray and as occasion is offered administer the Sacrament in that Congregation unto that Assembly untill their Sheepheard shall returne Shall the people be left as sheepe without a sheepheard because for the good of the Churches their owne sheepheard is called from them for a time that he might returne with greater joy and comfort The Pastor is appointed to feed his own flock and yet for the good of the whole Church he may be called to leave if not the care yet the over-sight of his flock fot a while and by the same reason a pastor of another flock or congregation may performe the office and doe the acts of a Minister in his congregation during absence Yea if for the good of the Churches he be called away doe not the Churches stand obliged in conscience to provide that the flock sustain no hurt by his absence which possibly yee cannot doe if one Minister may not performe a Ministeriall act in another Congregation 7 If the Prophets of one Church may prophesy in another and apply their doctrines exhortations and prayers to any of the occasions of the Churches where they speake whereof they are not set members what hinders why the Pastor of one congregation may not preach and pray administer the Sacraments in another The pastor of one congregation is appointed to his peculiar charge but he is a Minister in the universall Church as well as the Prophets of one Church may bee called Prophets of the universall Church by vertue of that Communion which all true Churches have one with another Without consent the Prophet may not prophesie by exhortation and with consent the Pastor may administer the Sacraments 8 In the Primitive Churches when Elders were ordained in every City they were not onely to looke to their flock but indeavour the conversion of poore Infidels among whom they lived and the inlargement of Christs Kingdome for the worke of the Lord must be done in its season and then was the time of the calling of the Gentiles It was not their office proper and essentiall to travail from Countrey to Countrey as did the Apostles nor were they pastors of the Infidels but by private instruction and publique teaching if any of them would bee penitent they were to labour the comming of them to God And these Infidels converted to the saith were to be baptised of the Elders ordinarily in those Cities though the number might bee so great as they could not well meete in one Congregation nor be subject to the same Pastor for either they must bee baptized by the pastors among whom they lived being converted to the faith or continue unbaptized untill they were a number convenient to make a distinct society or grow together into one body and to elect and choose their own Minister by whom they may be baptised But that either they must stay so long without baptisme or that a society of unbaptised men had power in those times to elect and choose their Minister by whom they should be baptised is contrary to all presidents in Scripture 9 And so if a Pastor may not performe a ministeriall act to any other person or people but his own flock onely then a company newly converted from infidelity which cannot joyne themselves as set members to another assembly must remain unbaptised till they have chosen their Minister to doe that office Then must the people thus converted want officers til there be among themselves able men to pray preach exhort in the congregation at the ordination of their Minister or if that may bee omitted till there be fit men among them to examine the fitnesse of him that is chosen 10 If subtile Heretikes arise and seduce and draw away many from the faith and the body of the society be not able to convince them either they must be let alone or cast out without conviction for neighbouring Ministers stand in peculiar
the Covenant of promise Thus a learned and reverend divine Circumcision was a seale of the covenant that God made with Abraham concerning Christ that should come as concerning the flesh of Isaac and so of Iacob of whom were the 12 tribes who were the Israelites c. Rom. 9. 4. 5. So that as in Abrahams time none were bound to be Circumcised but those that were of his family as being borne there or bought and so brought thither which were not of his seed So afterwards none were bound to be Circumcised which were not borne in the family of Jacob and Patriarchs or joyned to them And after their comming out of Egypt none were bound to be Circumcised but the children of the Iewes then the only Church of God and those that desired to joyne unto them The summe is thus much God gave circumcision to Abraham as a seale of the Covenant but whether it was given to other beleevers in his time it is at least a thing uncertaine And if they were not Circumcised it was by reason of the speciall Institution of God and peculiar manner of administration of the Covenant of promise which in some respect was proper to the family of Abraham and not common to all the visible members of the Church at that time in Church fellowship and order Afterwards when there were none in covenant but the seed of Iacob or strangers professing the faith of Abraham circumcision was not to be administred to any man who was not in Covenant nor any man to bee admitted to the Passeover who was not circumcised This is the most that can be said with any probability But hence it will not follow by iust analogie or proportion that the seed of the faithfull must not bee admitted to Baptisme or visible beleivers be received to the Lords Supper unlesse they bee set members of some particular congregation united in Church order Thirdly presupposing therefore that Melchizedeck Lot and Iob were not Circumcised we say there is not the like reason of Circumcision and Baptisme in this particular For first if Circumcision was ever appropriated to the family of Abraham and might be communicated to other visible Beleevers it was in the first Institution and administration but in the first Institution and administration of Baptisme it was not observed that beleevers should be first gathered into a politicall body or Christian church membership and then baptized Iohn the Baptist baptized such as came to him confessing their sins The Apostles baptized Disciples such as gladly received their doctrine beleeved in Jesus Christ and received the gifts of the holy Ghost before they were gathered into Christian Church order or made fit members of a Christian congregationall Assembly 2 If Circumcision was by speciall Institution given as a priviledge to the Males of Abrahams Familie Melchizedecke Iob Lot and other visible Beleevers were not bound to joyne themselves as members to Abrahams familie or desire and seek to be circumcised But they that have received the doctrine of salvation beleeve Christ and professe the faith are bound to seek and desire the priviledge of the seals in an holy manner 3. Melchizedech Job and Lot were not onely visible beleevers but visible members of the Church according to the manner of dispensing in those times but the Seals as you confesse belong to all beleevers knit together in Church-Covenant 4. If circumcision be appropriated to the family of Abraham it is because the Covenant sealed by circumcision is peculiar to Abrahams posteritie sc that Christ should come as concerning the flesh of Isaac But Baptisme is the seal of the Covenant of grace without any peculiar or speciall tye or respect 5. You contend that Baptisme did belong to such beleevers as were members of the then Jewish Church which cannot stand if Abrahams familie did answer to a Christian societie or congregationall Assembly Just reason therefore may be given why circumcision was dispensed onely to the males of Abrahams familie when baptisme is not to be limited onely to the set members of a particular societie and if this consideration be applied to the purpose instead of saying Circumcision and the Passeover were to be administred onely to the members of the Church you must say Circumcision was to be desired of or administred unto all the true approved visible members of the Church And if there be the same reason of both then all visible approved members of the Church must not desire nor be admitted to the seals but this conclusion you will not acknowledge Answ 4. Consideration THey that are not capable of the Church censures are not capable of the Church priviledges but they that are not within Church-Covenant are not capable of Church censures Ergo. The proposition is evident The Assumption may be proved 1 Corinth 5. 12. What have I to do to judge them that are without Now to be without is not onely the case of Heathens and Excommunicates but of some beleevers also who though by externall union with Christ they are within the Covenant of grace yet being not joyned externally to the visible bodie of Christ a particular Church are in regard of visible Church communion said to be without To this purpose is this text alledged by other Divines also as Dr. Ames Cas of consci l. 4. c. 24. q. 1. resp 5. Reply FIrst men are capable of Church censures in two respects either in having the power of the keyes and authoritie to dispense them according to God or as subject to the censures of the Church In the first sense many are capable of Church priviledges that are not capable of Church censures as the seed of Christian parents children and women You say you admit to the seales the knowne and approved and orderly recommended members of any true Church but to fellowship in the censures admittance of members and choice of Officers onely the members of that particular Church whereof they and we any of us stand members In the second sense also many are capable of Church priviledges who are not subject to Church censures as the children of Christian parents are capable of baptisme the known and approved members of any true Church are capable of the Seales in other Congregations among you who are not subject to the censures of that other Society Spirituall communion in publick prayer is a Church priviledge which is not denied to visible beleevers and godly persons though not in Church order and so not in subjection in your sense to Church censures Secondly a person baptised is not baptised in that particular congregation onely but into all Churches and every particular Church where he cometh he hath all the priviledges of a baptised person in respect of his baptisme and is so to be esteemed by them Now the priviledge of a baptised person who is able to examine himself and walketh in the truth is to be admitted to the Lords Supper All circumcised persons had right thereby to eat the
fideles ab infidelibus discerni possunt 1. Cor. 5. 12. But herein Dr. Ames manifestly sheweth that by them that are without heathens and unbeleevers must be understood and not beleevers and godly men though of no particular setled societie for the time for thus we conceive he argueth The signes and evidences whereby the faithfull are to be discerned from unbeleevers must not be confounded but unlesse Christians make themselves actuall members of a Societie or Church the signes whereby the faithfull are discerned from unbeleevers will be obscured and darkned And if this be his reason how can that text of Scripture be alledged for confirmation unlesse by men without Infidels be understood Again Doctor Ames in the same book lib. 4. ca. 27. speaking of Infants to be received it is required he saith that they be in the covenant of grace in respect of outward profession and estimation in respect of their parents and that there is hope they shall be instructed and brought up in the same covenant 2. That Baptisme doth most properly belong to those infants whose parents at least one of them is in the Church and not without because baptisme is a signe and seale of the covenant of grace 3. That children that are cast forth are in charitie to be esteemed the children of Christian parents when there is no just cause of presuming the contrary that in admitting unto baptisme a difference must be put betweene the Infants of those who in some sort belong to the Church but openly break the covenant of God and the children of others 1. Because a distinction must be observed in holy things betweene the cleane and uncleane seeing else the ordinance of God cannot be preserved from all pollution To say nothing of that which he addeth touching the baptisme of Infants borne in fornication excommunication and Papists which is more then sufficient to cleare his meaning in the former passage To this may be added that he holdeth it not necessarie that Christians should gather themselves into a particular society but as opportunitie and occasion should offer it self So that it was never his mind to censure them who be not gathered into Church-Covenant because they want means or opportunitie as men without in the Apostles sense His judgement is further manifested in his second Manuduction pa. 33. So many parish Assemblies of England saith he as have any competent number of good Christians in them united to worship God ordinarily in one Societie so many have the essence and integrall forme of a visible Church and all they have intire right to Christ and to all the meanes of injoying him how ever they are defective in the puritie of their combination and in the compleat free exercising of their power whereupon a reverend Elder now among you draws this conclusion Ergo to dischurch them wholly and to separate from them as no Churches of Christ or to denie baptisme to the Infants of their known members is not warrantable by any rule of Scripture that I know nor justified by any assertion or practise Answ 5. Consideration VVE may adde hereunto for a fifth Consideration the evill and pernicious consequences of extending communion in Church priviledges beyond the bounds of Church fellowship for thus 1. The extraordinarie office of the Apostles and the ordinarie office of Pastors and Teachers will be much confounded if the latter be as illimited as the former in the execution of their office beyond the bounds of their own particular Churches 2. The distinction of Church assemblies from the confused multitude is abrogated if without membership in a particular Church the parents may communicate with the Churches in the Lords Supper and their seed in baptisme 3. The Church shall indanger the profaning of the seals and want one speciall meanes whereby the grace and pietie of men may be discerned and made known for if without respect to their Church estate men of approved pietie as you say are to be admitted to fellowship in the seales how shall their pietie be approved to the Church not by their own report of themselves alone without attestation of such as are approved by the Church and how can such beare witnesse to their approved pietie who against light refuse to professe subjection to the Gospel of Christ by orderly joyning themselves in fellowship with some approved Church of Christ as members thereof when they have opportunitie thereunto seeing such fellow-ship is an action of pietie required of all beleevers in the second Commandment and true pietie frameth mens spirits to have respect to all Gods Commandments And we have had much experience of it that men of approved pietie in the judgement of some have been found too light not onely in the judgement of others but even of their own consciences when they have come to triall in offering themselves to be members of Churches with such a blessing hath God followed this order of taking hold of Church-Covenant by publick profession of faith and repentance before men be admitted to the seales but this meanes of discoverie of mens pietie and sinceritie would be utterly lost if men should be admitted unto the Lords table without entring in Church-fellowship Reply IF it be repugnant to Divine Institution to admit of approved Christians lawfully baptized walking in the faith members of the visible Churches and partakers of Church priviledges among us to the Lords Supper or their children to baptisme because they be not entred into Church fellowship according to your order then it is unlawfull though no such evill consequences are to be feared But if by accident some abuse should fall out the evill is to be prevented by all lawfull meanes but the faithfull are not utterly to be debarred of the order of God whereto they have right and title by his free grant and gracious invitation And no question but the seales of the Covenant may be profaned many times when it is not in the power of the dispensers to put back or expell such as profane them If the Congregation shall admit of or tolerate an unworthy member the Churches priviledges are profaned and yet we conceive you will say the Pastor is not faulty in receiving him when the Church doth tolerate unworthily if he do what pertaineth to his office to keep the holy things of God from contempt But in the case propounded there is no feare or danger of such consequences necessarie to follow for the question is not of all sorts at randame but of Christians professing the faith intirely lawfully baptised known and approved to the consciences of the wise and judicious visible members of the Churches of Christ among us often admitted to the Lords Table whether these either sufficiently knowne unto you or orderly recommended may upon desire and suite themselves be admitted to communicate in the Lords Supper and their children to be baptized what feare is there now that the extraordinarie office of the Apostles and the ordinarie office of
societie of men professing Christ A company of men converted to the faith being unbaptized may and ought to desire baptisme but they have not power to elect and chuse one among themselves to dispence the seales unto the rest for ought is to be found in Scripture The Churches constitution into which Christians are to gather themselves must be Apostolicall and not one day or houre younger in nature and forme of it thus the first Church of the New Testament But it can never be shewed in Scripture that any societie of unbaptised persons did first chuse from among them a Pastor or Teacher by whom they might be baptised you cannot produce one example or other proofe in the Scripture of one man teaching the Gospel ministerially but he was baptised and a member of a true Church or of a societie who made choice of a Pastor and teacher but they were baptised persons The third Proposition That the power of calling Ministers is given by Christ unto the Church must also be rightly understood For by the Church must be meant the societie of the faithfull not onely ingrafted into Christ set into the state of salvation and made heires apparent of everlasting blessednesse but solemnly entred and inrolled into the societie of Christs flock and acknowledged members by free admission into the Seales of the Covenant Againe by the Church if we speake of ordinary calling must not be understood of the faithfull alone but their guides and officers together with them who are to goe before the rest and to direct and governe them in their choice Neither can we say that any two or three beleevers linked together in societie doe make such a Church as to whom the calling of the Minister doth belong but that right was given by Christ to such Churches as were gathered and established by the Apostles The Church hath a Ministery of calling one whom Christ hath described that from Christ he may have power of Office given him in the vacant place But the office gift and power of the Ministery is immediately from Christ and not from the Church The Church doth neither virtually nor formally give power to her Officers but ministerially onely as ministring to him who hath power and vertue to conferre it And this right of election is so given to the communitie and body of the people that if they have consented to give away their right or if it be taken injuriously from them the calling of the Minister notwithstanding may be true and ministeriall acts done by him that is thrust upon the people without their consent may be effectuall to their salvation A wrong it is altogether to debarre the godly of their consent in the calling of such as must watch for their soules but it makes not the calling it selfe a meere nullitie for then many Churches in the world within a few hundred yeares after Christ should have wanted both ministery and Sacraments and they would have been altogether destitute of both ministery and Sacraments for many hundred yeares The fourth That all those who desire to partake in the Seales are bound to joyne themselves together in Church-state that so they may call a Minister to dispence the Seales unto them will not follow from the former rightly understood We deny not but Christians are bound to joyne themselves together in holy fellowship if God give them opportunitie but they must partake in the Seales before they can joyne themselves together in Church-state And such as for lack of meanes and opportunitie cannot joyne themselves into such an estate or be dispersed by persecution or be destitute of Pastors and Teachers may for a time desire and seek to have the seales dispenced unto them by the Pastors and Teachers of other Societies with whom they hold communion in the faith The people also who are deprived of right and libertie to choose their Pastor may desire and seek to have the Seales dispenced unto them by him who is set over them If a company of Infidells should be converted to the faith they must desire to partake in the ordinances of grace before they could joyne together in a Church-way to call a Minister of their own who might administer the Sacraments unto them To make Disciples and baptize are joyned together And if these Propositions be allowed for current a nation or people plunged into Idolatry or Infidelitie or otherwise dischurched cannot by ordinary meanes recover into a Church-estate wherein they may lawfully and according to Gods appointment desire or expect that the Seales of the Covenant should be dispenced to them The fifth Proposition riseth beyond measure that no Christian can expect by the appointment of God to partake in the Seales till he have joyned himselfe in Church-fellowship and the calling of the Minister Wee conceive you will not say that children and women have to doe in the call of the Minister for women they are debarred by their sex as from ordinary Prophesying so from any other dealing wherein they take authority over the man If some part of the Congregation doe not consent in the election of Pastors or Teachers have they not right to expect to have the Seales of the Covenant dispenced to themselves or their seede If the people be deprived of that libertie to choose or call their Minister must they seperate from the ordinances of worship there dispenced and from the Congregations as no true Churches If some persons by the providence of God live in such places where they cannot joyne in Church-fellowship and call of the Minister as suppose the Christian wife childe or servant nor lawfully remove to any such Societie must they and their children live as strangers and aliens from the Covenant of grace wherein they may not expect to partake of the Seales If Infidels be converted to the faith must they not partake in the Seales because they cannot joyne in Church-fellowship and call of the Minister before they be admitted to Baptisme Here you say the people must joyne together in the call of the Minister before they can lawfully desire to be admitted to the Seales And another hath zealously affirmed It is a presumptuous sin in any to choose an Officer not trained up and tryed scil in the debating discussing carrying and contriving of Church-affaires as also in admonition exhortation and comfort publickly occasioned and so manifested Lay these two together and let it be considered how long many a poore soule converted to the faith must be compelled to want the comfort of Gods ordinances Besides if a people be joyned together in Church-fellowship and have called a Pastor to feed and watch over them wee desire not words but proofe why the poore dispersed Christians wanting means or opportunitie to joyn themselves together into societie ought not to desire and that others be not bound in conscience to afford them the comfort of Gods ordinances If the Propositions may stand for good I feare we shall scarce finde that
or that the parents should be actuall visible set members of some particular distinct body before their children be baptised They that beleeve in Jesus Christ have received the word of promise and walk therein they and their children are within the Covenant and have right and title to the Seales of the Covenant but in their order the infants to baptisme parents baptised to the Lords Supper And if in that state by divine grant they have interest to the Sacraments the Church in debarring them because they be not yet grown into one distinct separate societie of mutuall covenant doth exceed the bounds of her commission For a ministeriall power onely is committed to the Church to admit or refuse them who are to be admitted or refused by authoritie from God But the Church if she thrust beleeving parents from the Supper of the Lord and their seed from baptisme she denieth these benefits to them who by the grace and gift of God have lawfull right and title thereto 1. For first the baptisme of John was true baptisme and truly administred by him And they that were baptized by him received the seales of the Covenant and were esteemed members of the visible Church But John never demanded of them who came to his baptisme whether they were entred into spirituall fellowship by mutuall covenant one with another This was not then knowne to be a necessarie and essentiall point in the lawfull due and orderly administration of the Sacrament The disciples of our Saviour made and baptised disciples professing the faith but not combined into Church-state or fellowship The Apostles commission was first to teach the Gentiles and then to baptise them having received their doctrine And this they carefully observed in the execution of their ministery upon grounds and reasons common to them and us for as soone as any man or number of men gladly received the doctrine of salvation and gave their names to Jesus Christ if they desired to be baptised forthwith they accepted them never excepting that they were no set members of a distinct visible congregation When the first 3000. converts being pricked in their consciences came to Peter and the rest of the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shall we do Peter returns this answer Repent and be baptised every one of you in the Name of Jesus c. For to you is the promise made and to your children and to all that are afar off c. As soon as the Samaritanes beleeved Philip who preached the things that concerned the kingdom of God they were baptised both men and women When the Eunuch asked of Philip See here is water what doth let me to be baptised he answereth not if thou beest first received as a set member into a visible congregation thou mayest but if thou beleevest with all thy heart thou mayest Can any man forbid water saith Peter speaking of the Gentiles upon whom was powred the gift of the holy Ghost that these should not be baptised who have received the gift of the holy Ghost as well as we At that time it was not held a bar sufficient to keep them from the Sacrament of baptisme because they were not set members of a distinct societie which had it been essentiall to the lawfull and orderly administration of the Sacraments questionlesse it had been observed in the first Institution and administration of them Annanias baptised Paul before he was any set member of a congregationall Assembly Lydia and her houshold the Jaylor and his house were baptised without regard to their Church-estate For in the same night which he was converted he was baptized with all his houshold And this was done not by the Apostles onely upon speciall dispensation but by others upon grounds and reasons common to them and all ages viz. because they were disciples beleeved gladly received the Word had received the holy Ghost were called and the promise was made to them and to their seed even to all them that were afarre off Now if the Apostles dispensed the seales to them that were not in Church-fellowship upon common grounds it is not essentiall to the lawfull dispensation of the seales that all partakers should be under such a covenant If the baptised disciples beleevers such as gladly received the Word and had received the gift of the holy Ghost then the seals of the Covenant belong unto such and by the grace of God they have right and title unto those priviledges 2. As we received the Sacraments from God by divine Institution so must we learne from him how and to whom the same are to be administred observing what he hath commanded without addition or diminution But we have learned from Christ the Author of Baptisme and the constant practise of the Apostles the first dispensers of these holy seales who best understood the mind and pleasure of the Lord herein that such as be called of God to whom the promise is made who have received the gifts of the holy Ghost beleeved in the Lord Jesus professed their faith in him and repentance for sins past with purpose of amendment for the time to come that such have right unto and desiring it ought to be received unto Baptifme and are greatly wronged if they be deprived of that unspeakable benefit 3. By a lively faith a man is made a living member of Jesus Christ and hath internall communion with him by the intire profession of Christian faith joyned with conformity of life in righteousnesse and holinesse and fellowship of love he is a member of the visible congregation or flock of Christ though no set member of a free distinct independant Societie And Baptisme is the seale of our admission into the congregation or flock of Christ but not evermore of our receiving into this or that particular societie as set members thereof This latter is accidentall to baptisme not essentiall It may fall out to be so but it is not ever necessarie nor is the Sacrament to be denyed nor can we say it is imperfectly administred where it cannot be attained For the Catholique Church is one intire bodie made up by the collection and agregation of all the faithfull unto the unity thereof from which union there ariseth unto every one of them such a relation to dependance upon that Church Catholique as parts use to have in respect of the whole And this holds true not onely of sound beleevers in respect of internall fellowship with Christ their head and so one with another but of all men professing the true and intire doctrine of faith and salvation in respect of them that hold and professe the same faith of Christ and worship God according to his will whereupon it followeth that neither particular persons nor particular guides nor particular Churches are to worke as severall divided bodies by themselves but are to teach and be taught and to do all other duties as parts conjoyned to the whole and members of the
him to baptize them the words may be read Et jussit eos baptizari in nomine Domini Syr. Arab. Praecepit eis ut baptizarentur The Interlineary glosse leaveth it doubtfull Associis suis vel a scipso Others are of opinion that Peter did baptize them himselfe It cannot be proved that Philip and Ananias were both Evangelists when the one baptized the Samaritans and the Eunuch the other Paul Paul himselfe baptized but a few as he testifieth of himselfe and reason to convince that others converted by his preaching were baptized by Evangelists we know not any And if Philip Ananias and others might baptize such as had right and title to the Seales being as yet no set members of any particular Congregation and a Congregation destitute of their proper Pastor may desire another to baptize their Infants and dispence the Sacrament of the Supper to them in that their necessitie And if the members of one Congregation may lawfully communicate in another then may the Pastors of particular Congregations upon occasion admit to the Seales of the Covenant such known and approved Christians as have right and title thereunto and duely and orderly require the same for of all these the reason is like and perpetuall Thirdly It is very improbable that the persons baptized were in Church-state or order If they were members of the Jewish Church not yet dissolved this is not to the purpose for men have not right to Baptisme because they were members of the Jewish Church but because Disciples and as you say joyned together in Covenant and have fellowship and calling of their Minister who is to dispence the Seales unto them And Baptisme is the Sacrament of initiation not into the Jewish but the Christian Churches Secondly when you say the Seales in ordinary dispensation are the priviledges of the Churches There are no Ministers but of particular Churches Baptisme and the Lords Supper are to be administred onely to the members of the Church No societie may lawfully desire the Seales unlesse they have joyned in the choice and calling of their Minister Beleevers not yet joyned in Church-order are without Doe yee not in all these understand a Christian societie united in a Church-way c. which cannot agree to the members of the Jewish Church not yet dissolved Thirdly The constitution of the Church saith Mr. Robin is the orderly collection and conjunction of the Saints into and in the Covenant of the New Testament but the members of Jewish Churches not yet dissolved were not in such constitution If the Eunuch and Centurion were proselytes and members of the Church of the Jewes The Samaritanes whom Philip baptized were not so And that any Gentiles or the Gailor whom Paul baptized in the Apostles times were set members of a Christian Assembly before baptized is very strange If there was a Church at Philippi yet the Gailor who was baptized and converted the same night could not be a set member by solemne admission before Baptisme It is said the Apostles baptized these persons in an extraordinary way But in this practise of the Apostles two things are to be considered 1. The circumstance of the action 2. The qualitie or substance of the act In some circumstances the baptizing of some of these persons might be extraordinary but the substance and qualitie of the action was grounded upon rules perpetuall and common to us with them 1. That is done in an extraordinary way which by peculiar priviledge of dispensation is made lawfull to some one or few men which is unlawfull to all others not having the same dispensation but where the ground and reason of the action is common we must not conceive the thing to be done in an extraordinary way by speciall dispensation What was done by the Apostles upon speciall revelation and immediate direction besides the ordinary and common rule in that wee are not to immitate or follow them because we have not their warrant But what they did upon reasons and grounds reaching unto us no lesse then unto them in that we have the same libertie allowance or commandement that they did walk by In one and the same action there may be and oft is something ordinary something extraordinary or peculiar to speciall times or persons So it was in the Apostles administration of the Seales but in every place where they came by illimited power as you speake they did baptize Disciples if they did baptize this was proper to them and could not be communicated to any others by them For there is no passage of Scripture which teacheth this that one Officer may communicate his power to another or doe that which particularly belongeth to his office by a Deputie But that they baptized beleevers professing their faith in the Lord Jesus and repentance towards God such as had gladly imbraced the Word and received the gifts of the holy Ghost this was common to them with all Pastors and Teachers because they did it not by power illimited or speciall dispensation but upon this standing perpetuall reason that the promise was made to them and to their seede and to as many as the Lord shall call that they had received the holy Ghost and the kingdome of heaven belonged to them And if the grounds and reasons of their practise be common reaching to us no lesse then unto them the practise it selfe was not extraordinary To say nothing that this Answer will not stand with the former for if the parties baptized were set members of particular Societies the Apostles did not baptize them in an extraordinary way they did it by the guidance and direction of the Spirit that is true but not by guidance of dispensation or prerogative whereby that was made lawfull without such inspiration had been unlawfull But they were infallibly guided to doe that which was according to the word of God and might stand for our direction that in case it be orderly desired a Pastor hath authoritie in his owne Congregation to receive knowne and approved Christians to the seales of the Covenant hath been proved before If the Apostles dispenced the seales onely to the Church Disciples faithfull who received the doctrine of salvation with gladnesse of heart and were partakers of the holy Ghost then they dispenced the seales in an ordinary way for such have title and interest to the seales by the Institution and appointment of God And every Pastor by his Office may and ought to dispence the seales unto such within the bounds and limits of his calling But the Apostles dispenced the seales onely to the Church Disciples faithfull c. 2. An Argument followeth necessarily from particular example to a generall when one particular is proved by another particular by force of the similitude common to the whole kinde under which those particulars are contained But the practise of the Apostles in baptizing Disciples and faithfull by force of similitude common to the whole kinde agreeth with the practise of Ministers receiving to
be subject to God and Christ by the intervention of the people onely they have it from them and not from God but they preach or administer the Sacraments rule or feed and if they depend immediately upon the faithfull viz. two or three gathered together in covenant they must draw what in order they are to preach unto them in the name of the Lord For from him must the Ambassadour learne his arrand from whom he receiveth his Commission We forbeare to presse the confessions and reasons of such as maintaine this opinion that the officers of Christ be both of and for the people and that in relation as the officers are called servants the Church may be called Lord. 4. Moreover if the power of the keyes be given first and immediately to the community of the faithfull what reason can be alledged why in defect of Officers the Church might not rule governe feed bind loose preach and administer the Sacraments or if any faile in any office why she might not supply that want by her power For the power of the keyes doth containe both authority and exercise power being given to this end that it might be exercised as it is vouchsafed But the Church when she is destitute of Officers cannot exercise those acts of rule nor by her power supply the want of any Officer Onely she hath a ministery of calling one whom Christ hath described that from Christ he may have power of office given him in the vacant place For these reasons not to insist on any more we judge the multitude or community of the faithfull not to be the immediate receptacle of Ecclesiasticall authoritie and so the power of excommunication not to belong to them If consent of the Churches of God be asked in this point to omit others the Churches of Scotland speake fully and expresly for us in the second book of Disci cap. 1. The Church as it is taken for them that exercise spirituall functions in the congregation of them that professe the truth hath a certain power granted by God according to which it useth a proper Jurisdiction and government exercised to the comfort of the whole flocke Power is an Ecclesiasticall authority granted by God the Father through the Mediator Jesus Christ unto his Kirke gathered and having its ground in the word of God and to be put in execution by them unto whom the spirituall government of the Church by lawfull calling is committed The policie of the Kirke flowing from this power is an order or spirituall forme of government which is exercised by the members appointed thereto by the Word of God and therefore is given immediately to the office-bearers by whom it is exercised to the weale of the whole body Vt universam scripturam evolvat D. Erastus nunquam tamen inventurum verba Ligandi Solvendi aliis quam publico ministerio fungentibus quidem met aphoricè divinae videlicet spiritualis potestatis respectu tribui Sunt enim judicialia haec verba c. Beza de Presb. p 60. See Helvet conf ca. 18. Sect. Nunc ergo c. Belgic confess art 3. Argentinens conf art 13. Bohem. confes art 14. VI. POSITION That none are to be admitted as members but they must promise not to depart or remove unlesse the Congregation will give leave Answer OUr Answer hereto is briefly this We judge it expedient and most according to rule that such brethren as are in covenant with the Church and ours as fellow-members and have committed their soules to our charge as Ministers should not forsake our fellowship nor obruptly breake away from us when and whither they please but first approve themselves therein to their brethrens consciences and take their counsell in so weightie a matter For which we propound to confider these two reasons following The former is drawne from the nature of the Church-Covenant which consists in these foure particulars 1. Every member at his admission doth openly professe and solemnly promise that by Christs helpe assisting he will not onely in generall give up himselfe as to the Lord to be guided by him so to the Church according to God to be directed by it which is no more then the members of the Church of Macedonia did in a parallel case 2 Cor. 8. 5. but also in particular that he will performe all duties of brotherly love and faithfulnesse to all the members of the body as of diligent watchfulnesse over all his brethren thereby to prevent sin so of faithfull admonition after their falls to regaine them to the Lord from their sinne the former being injoyned Hebr. 3. 13. And the want thereof deeply condemned in Cain that would not acknowledge that duty of being his brothers keeper Gen. 4. 9. the latter given in charge to the Church-members of Israel by the hand of Moses Levit. 19. 17. and so by Christ himself Matth. 18. 15. And by Paul also to the Galat. c. 6. 1 2. Secondly the ingagements are not made onely by the members admitted into the Church but by the Church back again to the member So that thereby the whole Church in generall and every member thereof in particular stand as well in conscience bound to performe all duties of love and watchfulnesse to him as he doth to them And this we do according to the golden rule of love and equitie injoyned by our Saviour Matth. 7. 12. fearing that contrary practise of Scribes and Pharisees so much condemned by Christ of laying greater burthens upon others then we our selves are willing to undergo Matth. 23. 4. 3. These promises thus lawfully and mutually made that member as also the whole Church are bound not onely every one for himselfe actively to performe them but passively also to suffer his brethren to do those offices upon and towards himself If he neglect the former he shall falsifie his covenant so solemnly before God Angels and men made and so not onely breake promise to his brother contrary to Psal 15. 4. but also in some sort commit the sinne of Ananias and Saphira in lying against the holy Ghost condemned and punished severely by Gods own hand Act. 5. 3. 5. 10. If he faile in the latter he shall not onely be guiltie of the same sinne of breach of Covenant with God and man as in the former but shall also be guilty of this folly of despising counsell so much condemned Prov. 12. 15. and 1. 7. and shall also proclaime this his folly and pride by shewing to all the Church that he is wise in his own eyes and leanes to his own wisedome both reproved Prov. 3. 7. and 23. 4. Seeing need of no further light to be held forth by his brethren then what he apprehends himselfe which is one of the greatest properties of folly 4. From all these things premised it appears that we can do no lesse and yet we do no more then require a member before he depart according to our covenant thus lawfully
judge many times if they arrogate such power unto themselves wee allow not rashnesse or precipitancy pride or self-conceitednesse we know it is meete that weightie matters should be mannaged by Councell but it is not necessary to bring every particular thing to the whole Church In the multitude of Councellors there is peace but over many Councellors oft causeth distraction and different apprehensions breed delayes The nature of your Church-Covenant as you describe it inferreth not a necessitle of bringing every such businesse unto the Church for you binde your selves mutually to watch over one another and in love to admonish one another in the Lord to prevent sinne and to encourage in well-doing as it concerneth every man within the limits of his place and calling But this essentially tyeth not any man to a perpetuall residence in one place for then even occasionall absence should be a breach of Covenant unlesse it be by consent and approbation of the Church You say in your Covenant you promise to performe no new dutie to your brethren which was not before commanded of the Lord but onely revive and renew your purposes afresh of performing such duties to that particular body into which you are then to be incorporated as were before injoyned in the Word But in the word of truth it is not commanded either expresly or by consequent that no member of a Congregation should remove or occasionally be absent from the place of his habitation before he have acquainted the Church whither he goeth and upon what occasions and whether the place be dangerous where he is likely to be infected or safe where he may be edified These things are matters of weight and to be undertaken with advice but the knowledge thereof belongeth not to every particular member of the societie And the Church shall burden her selfe above measure if she take upon her to intermeddle in all such occasions Neither is it safe to commit the determination of such matters ever to the vote of the multitude or weight of reasons as they shall apprehend the matter And if such businesse must be determined on the Lords day and to goe before the administration of the Word Sacraments and almes least the holy things be polluted by notorious obstinate offenders wee feare the time appointed for the exercise of Religion shall be prophaned with unseasonable disputes Instances might be alledged if it were a matter to be insisted upon As for the Covenant it selfe which you mutually enter into if therein you exact nothing but what God requires both for tryall and stipulation far be it that we should disallow it but if yee constraine men to meddle with things that belong not to them and winde them up higher then God would and straine every thing to the pitch that you seeme here to doe in this branch a godly and sober minde may well pause before he make such promise All members of the Church are not equally necessary to the preservatiō of the whole body if to the removall of some it were expedient to have the cōsent not only of the whole society but of neighbouring societies Ministers especially it is very much to draw this to the removall or abode of every particular member And if any man shall not intermeddle with every businesse of this kinde as questioning whether it doth belong to him or no or not aske the advice of the whole societie as knowing the most to be unfit to counsell in such a case doth he break his Covenant therein and so commit a sinne in a sort like the sinne of Ananias and Saphira Judge your selves if in other cases you would not censure this to be an high incroachment upon Christian libertie and a strict binding of mens consciences by humane constitutions May you not expect to heare from your own grounds that herein you have devised an expedient or necessary rite or custome to preserve the unitie and prevent the dissolution of the body which never came into the minde of the Lord Jesus the Saviour of the Church and that in so doing if your exposition will hold good you breake the second Commandement Rites and customes expedient to prevent confusion for the time let them be observed as customes expedient and what God requires in the examination or admission of members let that take place according to the presidents given in the Scriptures and the constant practise of the universall Church in the purest times But to presse customes onely expedient for the time as standing rules necessary at all times and for all persons to put that authoritie into the hands of men which God never put upon them to oblige men to intermeddle further in the affaires of men then the Word doth warrant to binde the conscience and that under so heavy a penalty as the sinne of Ananias and Saphira where God hath not bound it and to debarre known and approved Christians from the Seales of the Covenant because they cannot promise as setled members to abide and stay in the societie unlesse they shall obtaine leave of the Congregation to depart and to charge them in the meane season to be men who against light refuse subjection to the Gospel this is that which we cannot approve which yet wee suspect will follow from your judgement and desire to be resolved of in your practise And here we intreat leave to put you in minde of that which you have considered already schil That the Church and every member thereof hath entred into Covenant either expresly or implicitely to take God for their God and to keepe the words of the Covenant and doe them to seeke the Lord with all their hearts and to walke before him in truth and uprightnesse but we never finde that they were called to give account of the worke of grace wrought in their soules or that the whole Congregation were appointed to be Judge thereof You stand all of you this day saith Moses before the Lord your God c. that thou shouldst enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God All the people that were borne in the Wildernesse Joshua circumcised but it is incredible to thinke that among that great multitude there was not one who did not give good testimony of the worke of grace in his soule We reade often times that Israel after some grievous fall and revolt renewed their Covenant to walke with God to serve him onely and to obey his voyce as in the dayes of Joshua the Judges David Samuel Also Joash Josiah and Nehemiah c. But no particular enquiry was made what worke of grace God had wrought in the hearts of every singular person But the confession and profession of obedience was taken When John Baptist began to preach the Gospel and gather a new people for Christ he admitted none to Baptisme but upon confession of their sinnes but we reade of no question that he put forth unto them to discover the worke of grace in their soules
or repelled any that voluntarily submitted themselves upon that pretence It appeareth many wayes that when the Apostles planted Churches they made a Covenant between God and the people whom they received But they received men upon the profession of faith and promise of amendment of life without strict in quirie what sound work of grace was wrought in the soul In after ages strangers from the covenant were first instructed in the faith and then baptised upon the profession of faith and promise to walk according to the covenant of grace Now the profession at first required of all that were received to baptisme was that they beleeved in the Father Sonne and holy Ghost This was the confession of the Eunuch when he was baptised I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God The Creed is honoured of the ancients with glorious titles as the rule of faith the summe of faith the body of faith the perswasions of faith but by the Creed they understand that rule of faith and law of faith and institution of Christ which was then given when he was about to ascend into heaven and commanded his disciples saying Go teach all Nations c. It is true that in after times as occasion required some other Articles were added as explanations of the former to meet with the heresies of the times which began to trouble the Church But for substance of matter in things to be beleeved the Church never required other acknowledgement of them that were to be received into the congregation of Christs flock and admitted into her communion And for things to be done or the practicall part she requireth of them that were to be received to baptisme an abrenuntiation of the devill the world and the flesh with all their sinfull works and lusts The first principles then of the doctrine of Christ being received and the foresaid profession being made the Apostles and the Church following the example of the Apostles never denied baptisme unto such as sought or desired it If this be the Covenant that members admitted into Church-fellowship do enter into and this be all you require of them whom you receive you have the practise of the Apostles and the whole Church in after ages for your president But if you proceed further then thus and put men to declare what worke of grace God hath wrought in their soul in this or that way which perhaps is not determined by the word of grace at least not agreed upon among your selves we beseech you consider by what authority you do it and upon what grounds you stand But we will enter no further upon this matter because it comes not within the compasse of these Positions and to attribute so much to private letters as to make them the ground of another dispute we may not VII POSITION That a Minister is so a Minister of a particular Congregation that if they dislike him unjustly or leave him he ceaseth to be a Minister Answer OUr Answer to this consists in two branches 1. In case a Minister be set aside by the Church meerly through his own default 2. By the Churches default without any desert of his In the former case it is evident he ceaseth to be a Minister to them any longer as appears in foure conclusions 1. It is cleare from the Word that a Pastor or Teacher in these dayes hath no Apostolicall power over all Churches but onely limited to that one Church where God hath set him Paul gives not the Elders at Ephesus a generall Commission to go teach all Churches but to go feed that one flock over which the holy Ghost hath made them over-seers Act. 20. 28. So Peter gives direction to Elders to feed that flock of God onely which was among them and take the over-sight thereof 1 Pet. 5. 2. 2. It is as cleare that all this power of feeding which the Minister hath in that Church is nextly derived to him from Christ by the Church who hath solemnly called him to the work and promised to obey him therein for if he have it elsewhere it must be either from Christ immediately or from some other men deputed by Christ to conferre it on him or he must take it up of himselfe Not the first for that was proper to the Apostles or Apostolicall men therefore Paul proving his Apostleship saith he was called not of men nor by men but by Jesus Christ himself Gal. 1. 1. Not the second for we never read in Gods Word that any ordinary Officers or other besides the Church that had any Commission given them from Christ to call Ministers unto Churches Not the third for no man taketh this honour viz. of a Priest under the Law or of a Minister under the Gospel but he that is called of God Hebr. 5. 4. Therefore it must needs be from Christ by the Church 3. As the Church in the name of Christ gave this power to a Minister to be what he is and do what he doth amongst them when such a Minister shall make and manifest himself apparently unworthy and unfit to discharge the place which they thus called him unto so that they may discerne that Christ the head of the Church hath refused him from being a Minister unto him they may then upon as good grounds depose him from it as they called him to it 4. When a Church hath thus in Christs name put forth this power of shutting as before it did of opening to a Minister then he must cease to be a Minister unto them any more for we know no such indelible character imprinted upon a Minister that the Ministery ceasing the Minister ceaseth also 2. In case the Church shall without cause or sufficient weightie cause rashly or wilfully set him aside whom Christ hath set over them and whom they so solemnly called and promised before the Lord to submit unto and so abuse their power given them by Christ it is doubtlesse a very great wrong unto the Minister and sinne against Christ himselfe before whom it was done and not onely Christ himself will take it ill at their hands for such contempt done to him in his Ministers according to Christs speech Luke 10. 16. He that rejecteth you rejecteth me And Gods speech 1 Sam. 8. 7. They have not cast off thee but me But even other Churches also may admonish them And if they prove obstinate therein withdraw the right hand of fellowship from them and concerning the Minister himself thus deposed seeing it is done not by Christ but by the Church without Christ yea against the mind of Christ we conceive though he be by them deprived of the execution of his ministery among them yet untill he accepts of a call to another people he doth yet still remain a Minister of Christ in whose account notwithstanding such deposition he hath true right of administration among that people Reply THe question is of Ministers unjustly forsaken or driven from the Church or congregation and
your answer is for the most part of Ministers set aside or deprived through their own default We never purposed to speak one word for any unworthy Minister whom Christ hath put out of office and therefore your labour to prove that such justly rejected by the Church are no longer Ministers might well have been saved But sitting them aside we will in few words examine your conclusions upon which you bind the certainty of that sentence you passe against them First it is certain and clear from the Word that a Pastor or Teacher neither in these dayes hath nor in any other age of the Church ought to have Apostolicall power over all Churches The Apostles had onely power to serve the Church with the personall service of their Apostleship But pastorall power of ordinarie Ministers or Teachers they never had and if the Apostles had not the power of ordinarie Ministers much lesse can Pastors receive the power of Apostles for Christ gave both the one and the other order But as the Apostles were not Pastors of that Church to which they preached and among whom they continued for some space no more do Pastors become Apostles if they preach the Word or dispence the Sacraments to another flock or people beside their own whereof they have the speciall oversight But of this matter we have spoken before and of the texts of Scripture here alledged therefore we will not repeat what hath been said alreadie onely it seemeth somewhat strange that you should cite those texts of Scripture as if the Apostle had said feed one flock or feed that flock of God onely For we find the word one or onely neither in the text expresly nor in the sense for which it is here alledged viz. as if he might not perform any ministeriall act in another Congregation upon any occasion whatsoever Secondly the power of feeding which the Minister hath is neither confined to one societie onely nor nextly derived to him from Christ by the Church The office and authoritie of a Pastor is immediately from Christ The deputation of the person which Christ hath designed is from the Church ministerially but neither virtually nor formally The consent of the people is requisite in the election of Pastors and Teachers we grant the direction of the Elders going before or along with them but the authoritie office and gift of a Pastor is not from the people or Elders but from Christ alone When an Apostle was to be chosen in the place of Judas Act. 1. 22 23. no one had the handling of that businesse but Peter declared unto the brethren present what an one ought to be taken and they present two whereof one was elected by lot In this example somethings are extraordinarie for one onely was to be chosen and that immediately by God himselfe and somethings ordinarie for our imitation For if Peter would do nothing without consent of the disciples thenmay not ordinarie elections be passed without consent and approbation of the Church but it is not a popular election not governed by the fore-direction of Elders which is concluded from this passage of Scripture but a Church election by the free consent and judgement of the faithfull with the fore-leading of the Presbyterie When Deacons were to be chosen Act. 6. 1. 6. in the Church of Jerusalem it was done by the consent of the Church The mutinie of the Hellenists against the Hebrews occasioned that election but was no cause why it was made by free consent The Apostles shew what persons must be chosen and who ever thought the Church was left at libertie to chuse as she please without direction But in this election the people did first chuse the Apostles onely directing whom the people ought to make choice of when most commonly the Apostles instructed the people and went before them in the election and they consented Act. 14. 23. The Apostles by consent chose Elders and so in every matter of great importance belonging directly to the whole bodie of the Church whether severally in one congregation or joyntly in many the consent of the faithfull by observation of the Apostles was required Act. 11. 22. and 15. 22. and 16. 4. 1 Cor. 8. 19. But in the primitive times after the Apostles one Church might elect and chuse a Pastor for another As Ignatius exhorts the Phyladelphians that they would elect a Pastor for the Church of Antioch And so when the East Church was infected with Arrianisme Basil epist 69. 70. 74. thought it a fit meanes to remove the heresie if the Bishops of Italie being sent thither did condemne the heresie and he imploreth the aid of the Bishops of Italy France and all the East Cyprian saith all Bishops sunt mutuae concordiae glutine copulati that if any hold heresie the rest should help It would be too long to reckon up examples which in this case might be produced If here it be questioned whether your election of the people be essentiall to the calling of a Minister We answer 1. A thing is essentiall two wayes First as absolutely necessarie so that the thing can have no existence without it Secondly as necessarie to the integritie of the thing so that it is maimed without it Againe either the people be few in number and simple apt to be led aside unable to judge of the sufficiencie of their Minister or they be more in number increased in wisdome sound in faith and able to discern betwixt things that differ In the first sense the election of the people is not necessary or essentiall But in the second we cannot say he is no Minister that is not chosen by the people but his calling in that respect is maimed If the people be few and simple apt to be deceived they stand in more need of guidance and direction both from their own Elders and other Churches If the people be many in number full of wisdome and understanding their libertie to choose is the greater and it is the greater wrong to be deprived of it The practise of the Apostles and the primitive Churches for many ages will confirme this for sometimes men were propounded to the Church to be chosen Sometimes the choice was wholly left to them and was not that for our direction that more libertie is given where the danger is lesse and more restraint and caution used where the danger is more apparent that if they be left to themselves either an ill or unfit choice will be made In reason this is evident for the childs consent is required in marriage but the more able he is to choose for himselfe the more libertie may parents grant the lesse able the more watchfull must they be and so in this businesse Brotherly societie requires that we mutually exhort admonish reprove and comfort each other as occasion requires and as need requires It is a dutie of Neighbour-Churches to lend their helpe to their brethren in the choice and election of their Minister When
deliberately and mutually made to expresse to his brethren his desire of departing and the place and societie to which he tends whether to a godly Church where he may be edified or to some corrupt Assembly where he may be destroyed And 2. his grounds and reasons which move him so to do which if they hold good being scanned by the Word he may be not onely confirmed in his way by the consent and advise of many but counselled also how to manage his departure for his best comfort And so after all solemnly with the whole Churches prayers and blessings in the name of Christ dismissed But if his grounds either be none at all or weake and sinfull and that his desire of departing savours of self-will inordinate love of gaine rash precipitancie or a spirit of schisme more strongly then of sound reason then what can we do lesse without breach of Covenant then in love and tendernesse shew him his weaknesse disswade him from his purpose and refuse to consent Yet if after all this we see his spirit stedfastly and stiffely bent for a departure then though we dare not act against our light by consenting or counselling yet if his finne be not apparent and danger eminent we use rather through indulgence in cases of like nature to suspend our vote against him as not willing against his will to detain him abhorring to make our Churches places of restraint and imprisonment But if any should object that this argument holds firme where this Church-Covenant is allowed to be lawfull but with some it is questioned and with them it avails not Ans Some indeed have questioned the necessitie of our Church-Covenant but none we hope of these our reverend brethren that we write unto do question the lawfulnesse of such a Covenant being nothing else for the matter of it but a promise of doing such Christian duties as the Gospel of Christ requires of all Saints in Church-estate for we doe not herein promise to performe any new dutie to our brethren which was not before commanded us of the Lord but onely revive and renew our purposes afresh of performing such duties unto that particular body into which we are then incorporated as were before injoyned in the Word as to love each other and to watch over each other out of love for their good to be ready to give counsell to and to take counsell from each other to prevent sinne in them or to gaine them from sinne All which are plentifully and frequently held forth in the Scriptures for the defect of which care and watchfulnesse all the body shall be wrapt in the same guilt punishment with the member that commits the sinne as the whole Church of Israel was in Achans sinne and punishment Secondly It s a thing very reasonable and a knowne fundamentall rule in all societies that he that is incorporate thereto and so participates of the priviledges thereof should ingage himselfe to conforme to all such lawfull rites and orders as are expedient for the well being of that societie the contrary whereto will be a thing injurious in him to offer and confusion to themselves to accept The second ground is drawne from the necessitie that may fall upon the body if every particular member should depart at his owne pleasure For as every societie so much more a Church of Saints both from principles of nature and Christianitie also not onely lawfully may but in dutie are bound to endeavour the preservation of it selfe and Ergo timely to foresee and wisely to prevent all such things as would bring destruction to it selfe Now if any member might when whither and wherefore he please without consent of the Church depart away from it this may by unavoydable consequence dissipate the whole for if one man may so depart why may not another also though never so usefull in that body and whose absence might much shake the well-being of it and if one why not two six ten twentâ— as well For where will yee stop seeing any may plead the same libertie and if members may so doe why not the Pastor and Teacher also Seeing they are tyed to him by the same relation that he is to them and so the principalls falling the whole building must downe and if this may be so in one Church why not in all and so Christ should have no setled Church on earth Reply IT is one thing abruptly to breake away when and whither they please and forsake fellow-ship another thing not to depart or remove habitation unlesse the Congregation will give leave Also it is one thing mutually to compound and agree not to depart from each other without consent and approbation another to require a promise of all that be admitted into societie that they shall not depart without the Churches allowance If such a promise be required of all members to be admitted we cannot discerne upon what grounds your practise is warranted First you exclude all such as be not set members from the Sacrament of the Supper and their children from Baptisme and yet hinder them from entrance into Church societie because they cannot promise continuance in the place where they are resident for the present Here we desire to be satisfied from the word of God by what you require it Did the Apostles ever stipulate with such as desired to be baptized that they must abide in particular societie and not remove thence without approbation from the Church or did they deny the seales unto them because they could not make any such promise Was it ever heard of in the Church of God from the beginning thereof unto this day that any such thing was propounded unto or required of members to be admitted into Church-fellowship That Church Covenant which is necessary was not in use in the Apostles times but the Covenant they entred into bound no man to this condition for ought we reade They did not prescribe it no Church ever yet covenanted it as necessary to the preservation of the body Secondly It pertaines not to the whole Congregation to take notice of be acquainted with or judge of the cause of every particular members removall May not a servant remove from his Master to another Congregation or the father bestow his sonne or daughter in marriage to one of another Congregation but the whole Church must be called to councell in this matter If the Assembly once grow to be populous of necessitie they must be negligent in or weary of such an heavy taske and for the present for every one to challenge so much authoritie over other is usurpation Let it be shewed that ever by divine right this power was committed to the Church and then we will confesse it to be expedient and necessary But till then we thinke the Church is over ridged in exacting such a condition of the members and the members themselves goe beyond their measure as busi-bodies in other mens matters and things whereof they are not well able to