particular censure of excommunication Neither do I finde that excommunication is expressed by the term cutting off neither in the New Testament nor yet in the Hebrew Doctors but it is expressed by casting out Ioh. 9. 34. or puting out Ioh. 12. 42. or separating or puting away 1 Cor. 5. 13. Scholar It seems the Iews used two sorts of Excommunication the lesse called the Niddui and the greater Excommunication called the Anathema maranatha what kinde of Censure is the Anathema maranatha Teach The Talmudists did frame this word from two Chaldy words in likelyhood from Daniels Chaldy Visions Mar is What kinde of Excommunication is the Anathema maranatha one of the names of God by the confession of Nebuchad-nezzar Dan. 2. 47. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Dan. 7. where Christ the Son of man is described comming into his Kingdom to judge the four persecuting Beasts or Kingdoms because they took away the Kingdom of the Saints of the most high Dan. 7. 18. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of great force because it sets out the Kingly justice of Christ against wicked persecutors Paul delivers this Anathema as a command and therefore it must be regarded and obeyed as all the other commands of God ought to be The command is thus uttered If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha that is to say Let him be separated to the Lords wrath which is a river of fire from the fiery throne who cometh in the clouds of heaven that is to say With thousands of Angels to judge such wicked persecuters Iude verse 14. The not loving of Christ by it self simply considered is no just ground of inflicting this curse for then the poor ignorant Heathen which know nothing of Christ should be cursed with this Anathema but no man I think will say so therefore I expound this curse to belong to such as are so far from loving the Lord Jesus Christ that they hate him his Kingdom and servants Neither do I think that the Apostle doth command the Church of Corinth to execute this bitter Anathema as a Church act upon any like unto the lesser Excommunication but either a whole Church or any one Godly particular man may denounce this bitter Curse upon incorrigible persecutors But no man can give this curse to any that God hath not cursed Num. 23. 8. Now Christ declared unto Abraham what kind of persons he would have cursed Gen. 12. 3. him that speaketh thee evil I will curse From this commanded promise Paul doth infer his command If any love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema maranatha Tremellius in his Translation of the Syriac Testament hath a Note to this effect upon 1 Cor. 16. 22. The reason of this terme saith he may be applyed to the Thalnudists they mention such a kinde of Anathema in their Thalmud which is made up of two words which signifieth as much as Come Lord yet saith he I am not ignorant that it is otherways expounded three several ways by the Thalmud Expositors which I leave to be scanned by the Learned But this I say I do not apprehend that this Anathema doth bind men over to the eternal curse as most Expositors thinke but to some exemplary judgement of God in this world as those four beasts had Daniel 7. such as are open and incorrigible enemies to Christ and his Kingdom may and ought to be cursed by such as love the Lord Jesus Christ either they may threaten the vengeance of Christ upon them from such positive curses as are in Gods Book delivered against such with a positive command or else such may be cursed by imprecating the wrath of Christ upon such wilfull and implacable enemies And in this sense Christ bade Moses to command all Israel to pronounce both the blessings and the curses as soon as they came into the land of Canaan Then the Priests and the Levites stood between the twelve Tribes and pronounce both the blessings and the curses with a loud voyce and all the people said Amen Now the last of those curses was denounced against self-Justiciaries Cursed is he that continues not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them Deut. 27. This last curse must be understood of the eternal curse but all the rest must be understood of temporal curses chiefly By this Law Christ taught his people how and when and whom to curse The Ruler may not be cursed Exod. 22. 28. And yet such Rulers as mislead the people and cause them to go astray in their practice Are cursed in Deut. 27. 13. And by this Law Paul cursed Ananias Acts 23. 3. And by this Law Our Saviour cursed the ruling Scribes and Pharises eight times over Matth. 23. 13. to 39. And David cursed obstinate Saul Psal 59. And Ezekiel cursed Zedekiah Ezek. 21. 25. And by this rule Ieremiah cursed the Priests of Anathoth and Ierusalem Ier. 11. 20. 18. 21. 17. 18. 10. 25. Lam. 3. 64. This last curse Paul translates according to the 70. and laid it upon Alexander the copper-Smith 2 Tim. 4. 14. And Nehemiah is bold to curse such as had married wives of Ashdod c. Nehe. 13. 25. and in this sense the godly Martyrs and Confessors and Professors do curse the Cesars and the King of Locusts Apoc. 6. 10. 8. 4. 5 11. 16. Iames 5. 7. 8. And in this sence Paul must be understood Let him be Anathema maranatha that loves not the Lord Iesus Christ The Apostle speaks this to all godly Christians they are bound to execute the curse that is written either by a positive denunciation or else by way of imprecation as the occasion is offered Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse ye the Inhabitants thereof because they came not to help the Lord to help the Lord against the mighty Iudges 5. 23. They that curse others for private injuries ought to be severely punished by the Magistrate Levit. 19. 14. But they that curse the enemies of Christ may do it in Faith because they have a word of command to warrant their Act. And thus Paul delivered Hymeneus and Alexander to Satan 1 Tim. 1. 20. He delivered them to Satan by denouncing the Anathema 2 Tim. 4. 14. A little before this Alexander was a defender of the Truth at Ephesus Acts 19. 33. He was a Member of that Church but Paul doth not appoint the Church of Ephesus to give him the Anathema but he did it by himself without them The Talmud gives a rule of caution to such as denounce the Anathema to take good heed they do it upon right grounds or else they say the curse given shall return to the giver And so Salomon saith That the curse which is causelesse shall not come The seven cups of Gods wrath in Apoc. 15. 16. are nothing else but the pouring out curses and imprecations against the Antichristian
Convocation cannot be understood of their general Church-Convocations for their general festival Convocations were commanded to be observed only three times in the year neither were they bound to observe their festival Convocations in the time of their travels in the wilderness but the observation of those Convocations were adjourned until they were settled in rest in the Land of Canaan Numb 15. 2. Secondly this Convocation of holiness Levit. 23. 3. Differs from their National-Convocation in respect of place because their National-Convocation was commanded to be observed only before the Tabernacle or Temple which place was a great way off from the most part of their dwellings after they were setled in Canaan But this Convocation of holinesse in verse 3. is at hand and therefore it is commanded to be observed in all their dwellings that is to say not far off but nigh to every ones dwelling so that all sorts of persons might resort thither with ease every Sabbath or seventh Day without breaking the rest of the holy Sabbath by long toyl of travel for the Text saith plainly Yee shall not do any work it shall be a Sabbath to Jehovah in all your dwellings but if all the twelve Tribes had been commanded to repaire to the Tabernacle or Temple every Sabbath or seventh Day they must have toyled hard and so have broken the rest of the holy Sabbath Therefore seeing this Convocation in verse 3. is so expresly limited 1. To the time of the Sabbath or seventh Day And 2. to the place of their dwellings that is to say in a convenient nigh distance to their dwellings It doth necessarily follow that this Convocation of holinesse spoken of in verse 3. must needs be understood only of their particular Church-Assemblies which Christ ordained as well as their general Church-Assemblies It is said in Psal 87. 2. That Jehovah loveth the Gates of Zion above the dwelling places of Iacob That is to say Christ did more delight to manifest his visible Presence in the Cloud of his presence between the Cherubin upon Mount Sion then in their Synagogue-Assemblies but he did graciously blesse their Synagogue-Assemblies with his Spiritual presence to the conversion of souls as he did the place of his visible presence in Mount Sion But I chiefly alledge this place in Psal 87. to note out unto us that their particular Church-Assemblies were called the dwelling places of Iacob because they were many and conveniently dispersed in all the Towns and Villages of Israel Secondly if Jesus Christ had left his people to their own libertie and discretion whether they would have met together in particular Church-Assemblies to worship him every Sabbath or no all the while they were in their travels in the wildernes which was for the space of thirty eight years together Then doubtless they would have used that liberty to the increasing of Idolatry and profaneness as experience doth teach us in all places where the strict exercise of Gods worship in particular assemblies hath been neglected and then the generation that entred into Canaan would have been worse then those that came out of Egypt but they must be better instructed before they could enter into Canaan therefore there was a necessitie that Jesus Christ should enjoyn them to observe particular Convocations of holiness by particular Church-Assemblies every Sabbath or seventh Day even whiles they were in their travels in the wildernesse Sholar What other proof have you to confirm this Tenent that the Iewes Synagogues were particular Churches of Iesus Christ Teacher The truth of this Tenent doth further appear by the term Church and the term Synagogue which are used as terms convertible or synonima First the Apostle Iames calls a Christian Church a Synagogue Iames 2. 2. If there come saith he unto your Synagogue a man with a gold ring c. Here the term Synagogue in the singular number is put for Synagogues in the plural number for Iames writes not to one particular Church or Synagogue onely but he writes to the converted Iewes of the twelve Tribes which were dispersed into divers heathen Countries Iames 1. 1. For they had Synagogues in every heathen Countrey and they had many godly Christians that still lived with them though some were separated into particular Churches Iames saith to them all in general as if he spake to one particular Church meeting c. Secondly David calls the Jewes-Synagogues by the name of Churches as M. Ainsworth noteth in Psal 26. 12. In the Churches saith he will I blesse thee And again David doth exhort all the faithfull to blesse God in the Churches Psalm 68. 26. That is to say in their particular Synagogue-meetings so then by the Testimony of Iames and David it is evident that the term Church and the term Synagogue are terms convertible or synonima Thirdly The seventy do make the terme Church and the terme Synagogue to be Synonima These seventy Translators were Jewes and therefore in reason were able to render the Hebrew word Kahal which we translate Church in a right sense and they translate Kahal seventy times by Ecclesia and thirty seven times by Synagogue as Kirkerus in his Hebrew-Greek Lexicon doth note it to our hands Fourthly The Prophet lamenteth that the enemy had burned all the Synagogues of God in the land Psal 74. 4. 8. The Prophet calls them the Synagogues of God because they were appointed and ordained by Jesus Christ for the use of his publike worship every Sabbath day Hence it follows that if any of the Jewish Synagogues in the dayes of the Apostles did embrace the Gospel they might well be called a Christian Church without any alteration of their Discipline as the whole Synagogue of Antioch in Syria did for I believe there was a Jewish Synagogue in that City because there were many Jews there though the terme Synagogue be not expressed in the text For as yet the Apostles preached to the Jews onely Acts 11. 29. and therefore that Synagogue might well continue in the same order of Discipline as it stood before and why should it be thought a thing incredible that a whole Synagogue might not be converted by the preaching of the Gospel as well as whole Families seeing the Jews of this Antioch did not oppose the believing Grecians as the malignant Jews of other Synagogues did we never read of any opposition that this Church or Synagogue made against the Gospel except by some Jews that came from Judea and taught the Brethren saying Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Acts 15. 1. Neither do we read of any separation that Christians made from this Synagogue as they did from other Synagogues when they were persecuted Therefore I conceive all the Jews of this Synagogue were converted in general and this Synagogue was first called a Church of Christians Acts 11. 26. and yet there were synagogues in Judea Galilee and Samaria that were called Churches before this Acts 9. 31. but they were
not wholy converted to Christianity as this synagogue of Antioch was some godly converts there were in these synagogues by the ministry of John Baptist and of Christ who had some rest from persecution at the time of Paul's conversion but no separated Christian Church was established as yet except the Church at Jerusalem Acts 1. 15. and except this synagogue of Antioch 5. When Paul was sent with letters from the high Priest to persecute Christians that as yet continued in synagogues he was converted as he was going to persecute the Christians that were in the synagogue of Damascus whereupon he preached Christ in the synagogue of Damascus and then he preached Christ also in the synagogues of Arabia for three yeers together before he consulted with any of the Apostles Acts 9. 1. 20. Gal. 1 2. Then had the Churches rest throughout all Iudea Galilee and Samaria Acts 9. 31. These Churches can be no other but the synagogues of those places where divers of them were converted to Christianity by the preaching of Iohn Baptist and by Christ and his Apostles where they yet continued For I find no particular Christian Church established as yet but the Church at Jerusalem and at Antioch as I noted above In one place Paul saith that He persecuted the Church of God extremely and wasted it Gal. 1. 13. but in Acts 22. 19. he saith He prisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed in Christ Therefore the Jews synagogues may well be called particular Churches of Jesus Christ Scholar Some learned men do affirm that the Iews Synagogues were no true Particular Churches of Iesus Christ because they wanted one of the essential marks of a true Particular Church For according to the opinion of sundry learned Divines a true Church must have three marks that are essential to the completing of a true Church First The preaching of Gods word by a chosen Officer Secondly The right administration of the Sacraments Thirdly the power of Discipline Now it is evident that the Synagogues wanted the use and practise of the two Sacraments which were in ordinary use before the coming of Christ Therefore they were no true Churches of Iesus Christ Teacher This is a hard saying to condemn the Jews synagogues as no true Churches of Jesus Christ because they did not Administer those Sacraments that were in ordinary use among the Jewes If there can be no true Church of Jesus Christ without the Administration of the ordinary Sacraments then those Christian-Assemblies were no true Churches of Jesus Christ which were often Congregated at Amersham and in other parts in England in the dayes of Henry the eight to hear the Word of God read and expounded by the ablest Christians they would chuse out among themselves for I conceive they did many years meet together to hear the Word of God without the use of the Sacraments and without the use of any settled Discipline excepting the use of such private reproofs as they in godly wisedome did give to one another for the reformation of sinful misdemeanours though I grant that such Assemblies had the use of the Sacraments and of Discipline also in the dayes of Queen Mary but not in the dayes of King Henry the eight that I can find recorded in any story and yet I conceive there were many true particular Churches of Jesus Christ in those dayes Therefore I conceive that in time of persecution where ever a company of godly Christians did use to assemble upon the Lords-Day to hear the Word of God preached by one of the most ablest chosen men among themselves they were to be esteemed as a true particular Church of Jesus Christ or else I fear we shall hardly find any true Church of Christ in the world for many years together in the height of Popery Therefore notwithstanding this Objection I conclude that the Jewes synagogues were true Churches of Jesus Christ as long as they had the use and exercise of the Word preached among them though they wanted the use of the ordinary Sacraments in their synagogues and yet I suppose they circumcised in their synagogues for they came to the Administration of that seal of the Covenant in a publick manner as Learned Divines think Luk. 1. 59. Scholar I confesse that the Iewes Synagogues have been of excellent use from ancient times but I have formerly thought that these Synagogues had been erected at the first by the voluntary care of their godly Governours and not by Divine Institution of Iesus Christ Teacher I have sufficiently proved from Levit. 23. 3. that synagogue-worship was not first erected by the voluntary care of godly Governours but by the special appointment of Jesus Christ and it is most like that synagogue-worship was ordained by Christ from the beginning of the world for they did sanctifie the Sabbath by particular Church-Assemblies whilest they lived in Egypt long before they came into the Wilderness for the Angel of Gods presence said thus unto those that went out to gather Manna upon the Sabbath before they came to Mount Synai and therefore before the Law given at Mount Synai How long will ye refuse to keep my Commandments and my Lawes Exod. 16. 28. From this text it is evident that Jesus Christ had given them a commandment and a law for the publike sanctifying of the holy Sabbath before he gave the ten commandments at mount Sinai and therefore he had instructed them in the observation of their festival sabbaths for he did not require them to observe their festival sabbaths while they were in their travels in the Wildernes but he adjourned the observation of their festival sabbaths until they were setled in rest in Canaan Numb 15. 2. and therefore after Christ had commanded the Tabernacle to be twice erected in the Wildernes for the place of their National Church-Assemblies and after that he had declared the Ordinances thereof which was done in the second yeer after their coming from Aegypt then immediately after the Tabernacle was folded up again 38. yeers together as M. Ainsworth observed Numb 2. In all which space they did not observe any of their festival sabbaths except the Pass-over once onely in the second yeer after they came out of Aegypt Num. 9. And yet in all this 38. yeers space the Angel of Gods presence did not leave them to their own liberty whether they would observe the sabbath by an holy convocation or no but he did straitly charge them to observe that day with an holy convocation in all their dwellings they might not omit this holy convocation every seventh day in all their dwellings though they must omit the observation of all their festival sabbaths for 38. yeers togethers If they had neglected their Particular Church-Assemblies as they did omit their National Church-Assemblies for 38. yeers together doubtless Religion would have perished from among them Yea after they did enjoy their National Church-Assemblies Their National Church-worship was not sufficient of it self to
for example There were certain men in Numb 9. 6. that were unclean by a dead corps In this case they could not tell whether they might come to that second Passeover yea or no. Therefore those men brought the matter before Moses as well as before Aaron as they were the chief Heads of the Synedrion And Moses said unto them in vers 8. Stand still and I will hear what Iehovah will command concerning you This deliberate enquiry of Moses into this difficult matter may teach the Elders of any Church or Common Weal not to passe sentence too hastily in doubtfull cases till they have a word from Christ to warrant their judgement 4. It is also evident that all the Iudges of the Synedrion had need to be wise and learned in the wisdom of the Law because they must give judgement and passe their sentence in all doubtful and difficult cases yea even in doubtful Levitical cases Mamony saith that the Elders of the great Sanhedrin were wont to sit in the Temple to judge and try the Priests both touching their Genealogies and Blemishes and what Priest soever they found dis-allowable by his Genealogie they clothed him in black and so he went out of the Priests Court in the Temple But whosoever they found perfect and fit he was clothed in white and went in and ministred with his brethren Ainswoth in his Preface to Genesis By all these testimonies we may see that the Iudges of the Synedrion Court were the general Elders of the Church to look to all matters as well Levitical as Civil Yea sometimes the Priests were so simple in the knowledge of their duty that the Iudges of the Sanhedrin were fain to teach them their duty As for example If the Priests were unclean or unmeet any kinde of way to burn the Red heifer then it was the proper duty of the Iudges of the Sanhedrin to looke to this matter they must take abundant care to see it done as it ought to be done Ains Numb 10. 7. It belonged also to the Elders of the Sanhedrin to judge in all Levitical Ordinances both of Prohibition and Permission between the Clean and the Vnclean and in all like cases Ains in Exod. 23. 2. and it belonged to them to judge in all cases about tythes Ains Levit. 27. 33. And if a Priest were not able to judge of the signes of the plague of Leprosie then it was not lawful for such a Priest to look upon any Plague till a Master had taught him and made him expert in all Plagues Ains Levit. 13. 3. Therefore seeing the Elders of the Synedrion must judge in all such like Levitical cases as this it follows by necessary consequence that they were the general Elders of the whole Church and therefore they had power to inflict the sentence of Excommunication upon any offender as well as other punishments For they judged in all cases as well in matters of Religion as civil Justice and therefore also by the same rule of equity the Judges of the highest Court now may dispence the same power now both they and their Substitutes provided they take the like care that none be made Judges but such as be learned and godly Scholar You said ere while that Iesus Christ put Aaron the high Priest in trust with the care of matters of Religion as wel as Moses the King In that respect I conceive that the high Priest was the principal Elder of the National Church If so then it belonged to him as the chief Elder of the Church to dispence all actions of Church-discipline and so many learned do conclude and affirm Teacher I grant that many learned Divines do usually say and affirm that the high Priest was the chief Elder of that national Church and thus Chrysostome in Photius Library doth make the high Priest the stay of the State But I Answer first Negatively That the high Sacrificer was The high Sacrificer was not the chief Elder of the National Church in Israel as some affirm many times so simple that he was not fit to be chosen for an Elder of the Sanhedrin and therefore not fit to be the chief Elder of the whole Church But secondly I say that if the high Sacrificer were at any time chosen to be one of the Elders of the Synedrion then by that choice he was made an Elder of the National Church or else not His Priestly Office did not make him an Elder of the high Sanhedrin or Synedrion unlesse he were chosen thereto in an orderly way as all the other Iudges of that Court were But If he were orderly chosen to be one of the Iudges of the Sanhedrin then if his gifts and parts were more eminent then others he might haply be more exercised in judging Levitical Laws and Ordinances then others But if his parts were lesse eminent then some other Iudges of the Sanhedrin then other Iudges chosen out of their Tribes might be more exercised in judging Levitical Laws and Ordinances then he and so they might be preferred above him 2. It is evident that the high Sacrificer was not the chief Elder of the Church as he was the high Priest for though he had a priviledge above all other Priests in the Priests Office yet he had no place among the Elders of the Sanhedrin as he was the high Priest For his high Priests Office fell to him partly by birth which hath no learning nor gifts intailed to it and partly he was chosen by the Elders of the Sanhedrin They anointed the high Priest and installed him into his Office because they were the Churches Elders Ains Levit. 6. 20. And Talmud Ierusalemi in Sanhedrin sheweth that the seventie Elders of the high Sanhedrin might be all of Israel without any one of Levi and that the high Priest was not of the Sanhedrin except he were rarely learned and sage but saith the Talmud they were often times so simple that the Elders of the high Sanhedrin were forced to teach them their duty on Expiation day And this the Elders of the high Sanhedrin did not as a voluntary act but as a duty commanded them by vertue of their Office as they were the Churches Elders For it was the Angel of Gods presence that commanded Moses the Magistrate or head Elder of the Sanhedrin to speak unto Aaron the high Priest after the death of Aarons two sons by fire for their transgression to warn him of his duty on Expiation day lest he might transgress in his duty as his sonnes had done vide Ains on Levit. 16. 1 2. 33. And as the Elders of the high Sanhedrin must anoint the high Priest and instal him into his office so also they might excommunicate him for his offences as the Hebrew Doctors do testifie they say they might not excommunicate the King except in Ieroboams case but in great offence the high Sanhedrin would say unto the King Keep your house for a time and salve your honour v. M. Brough
phrase every one must not be taken vulgarly for every one of the common multitude of the Church The Apostle himself doth contradict that Exposition for he doth teach us to oppose the learned to the unlearned in ver 23. 24. therefore he doth exempt the unlearned as not fit to be accounted into the number of every one that hath a Psalm c. therefore these two phrases all and every one means all and every one of those only whom God had gifted with extraordinary gifts for the plantation of his Church these only the Apostle calls the whole Church by the figure Synecdoche because they were the chiefe guides and directions of the multitude 19. The word Church is of a large capacity it signifies an Assembly of any kind of men and therefore it may as well be applyed to an assembly of Magistrates in a Court of Justice as to any other Assembly First The whole Army of Sauls souldiers that lay incamped in the field against the Philistims are called Kahal a Church and in the Septuagint Ecclesia 1 Sam. 17. 47. Secondly Nebuchadnezzars Army against Israel is called Kahal a Church and in the seventy Ecclesia Ezek. 16. 40. Thirdly Nebuchadnezzars several companies of souldiers collected into several bands out of several Nations are called Churches in the plural number Ezek. 26. 7. and in the seventy Synagogues Fourthly The Persian Army is also called a Church Ier. 50. 9. and in the septuagint a Synagogue Fifthly Pharaohs army is also called Kahal a Church Ezek. 17. 17. Sixthly The Army of Gog is four times over called Kahal a Church and in the seventy a Synagogue Ezek 38. 4. 7. 13. 15. Seventhly all the multitude of Israel that came out of Aegypt are called Kahal a Church before ever they entred into that Church Covenant which God made with them in Horeb. Exod. 16. 3. Therefore it is no absurdity to call a Court of Elders a Church 20. A confused multitude of people may be called a Church therefore much more an orderly Assembly of Elders in a Court of Justice In Acts 19. 32. It is said that the Church was confused that rose up against Paul and Alexander and in verse 41. The Town-Clark dismissed the Church that is to say the disorderly multitude and Syracides puts the word Church for a disorderly multitude of evil doers Ecclus 26. 5. 21. A company of wicked and corrupt Elders may be called a Church as in Psal 26. 5. I hated the Church of evil doers that is to say the Church or Synedrion of Sauls flattering Counsellors And Iacob also in his last will speaking of the bloudy action of Simeon and Levi saith O my soul come not thou into their secret and unto their Church mine honour be not thou united Gen. 49. 6. Hence it follows that the conclave of Cardinals in Rome may be truly and properly called a Church and the general Councels of Cardinals Bishops and other Popish Doctors may truly and properly be called a Church though also they ought to be called a malignant Church or a Synagogue of Satan Therefore I wonder why any man of learning and wisdom should account it such a strange matter to interpret the word Church in Matth. 18. 17. to mean the Elders of the Synedrion-Court especially considering they were the Churches chosen Elders appointed to sit in Moses Chair to expound Moses laws and to punish all the Transgressors thereof with sutable punishments and though they were grown now more degenerate then in former times yet they had some godly Elders among them as Gamaliel and Nichodemus and Ioseph of Arimathea with many others doubtles here and there dispersed among their several Sanhedrins I will conclude these one and twenty Collections with this Summe First Their opinion that Tell the Church requireth a new Court would breed new speech in the New Testament But our Lord spake it as is evident of the Church of Elders of the Politie known and practised of old in Israel Bro. in Manuscript Secondly In the Iews Reipublike the same Ecclesia that judged Dammages or Death judged of excommunication and still the chief Rulers being of Faith should have their stroke They will and should study to excel in Divinity to be true Bishops and Elders to eat up the book of the Gospel and to see all miscarriages sagely restrained The Apostle did excommunicate the Corinthian as an Elder or Bishop Bro. in Manus and Apoc. 155. Thirdly The Reformed Churches as Zurick take the wisest order that destroy all the Popes marks The Consul is present at all Scholars dealings and most straitly look to Scholars carriage twice in the Yeer and all punishments are referred to the Consul and Synedrion such was the Apostles Doctrine and Synagogues of old Bro. Apoc. 230. and on the Lords Prayer pag. 10. 11. alibi Scholar Truly I must needs confess that I cannot justly except against your exposition of the word Church in Matth. 18. 17. and yet I desire a little further satisfaction Whether it be lawful to call all the visible professors of the Faith dispersed over the world A Church of Christ or no Teacher I have already shewed you that the word Church is of such a large capacity that it may well comprehend them all and therefore I do fully accord with those Divines that describe the Church of Christ to be outwardly visible farre and wide over the face of the earth Scholar Very learned men do think that there can be no such universal visible Church of Christ 1. Because all those visible Professors cannot meet together in any one place to perform that publick worship which Christ hath ordained And secondly they cannot have any general Officers over them because they cannot meet together to chuse them Teacher I do desire that no man will be offended suddenly at the term Church attributed to all visible Professors of the Faith For though they cannot now personally meet together in any one place as perhaps they did in the dayes of Adam and Noah yet they do dayly meet together in the unitie of the Faith and they do all make the same publick Profession of salvation by All the outward Professors of the Faith through the world do make an universal visible Church of Christ Christ alone But for the better performance of the same publick Faith and Worship they are fitly divided and distributed into particular visible Churches And my reasons for calling all visible Professors an universal visible Church of Christ are these 1. What other Temple of God can that be wherein Antichrist doth sit as God but the universal visible Church of Christ dispersed over the world Antichrist cannot be said to sit as a God in any one particular Congregational Church but he sits in the Temple of God even as Christ sat formerly in the Temple between the Cherubims whither the twelve Tribes resorted three times a year And these twelve Tribes are called a Church of Nations Genesis 28. 3. Because they
not ashamed to expound the Law of God being sent unto the people for that purpose hence I gather that any Prince of any Tribe having a fair calling by the Sanhedrin might as lawfully preach in any synagogue of the Jews as Paul of Benjamin might or as the Apostles of Iudah might But this example ought not to be imitated by such as want an outward calling or that want learned abilities After this Iehosaphat prosecuted this new-begun Reformation by restoring the Sanhedrin courts to their original puritie First He reformed those Courts that consisted of three and twenty Judges in all the strong Cities of Iuda Citie by Citie 1 Chron. 19. 5. 2. He reformed the high Sanhedrin of seventy Judges setting up some Levits some Priests and some of the chief families of Israel for the Judgements and Cause of the Lord 1 Chron. 19. 8. The Rulers of Israel did not take themselves necessarily tyed to set up some Levits among the Elders of Israel For the Hebrew Doctors say that this high Sanhedrin might be all of Israel though usually they adjoyned some of Levi to them Aaron was joyned to Moses the King in the first election Numb 11. afterwards Moses also did appoint some Priests and Levits to sit with the other Judges of the other Tribes Deut. 17. 9 to 14. and Aaron was joyned with Hur among the Elders of Israel at Mount Sinai Exod. 24. 14. After the captivitie Ezra also did obtain so much favour of the Persian Princes that he restored this government again to the puritie thereof Ezra 7. 25 26. with ch 10. 14. But in processe of time when the Romane Emperours were Lords over the Jewes then they took away from them the power of life and death about a yeare or two before the death of Christ For Talmud Ierusalemi and Maymony in San. do shew that 48. yeers before the destruction of Ierusalem causes of life and death were taken away from Israel and this Testimony is confirmed by the Jews own confession to Pilate for they told Pilate that it was not lawful for them to put any man to death Ioh. 18. 31. and this was brought to passe before the death of Christ by Gods special providence that the words of Christ might be fulfilled when he fore-told the manner of his death that it should not be after the Iewish but after the Romane manner Ioh. 12. 32. 33. Mat. 20. 19. And yet though the Romans took away the power of life and death from the Jewes they did not take away all power of Government from the Jews but they still left them to exercise the power of their Sanhedrin Courts in all other cases as Pilats speech to the Scribes and Pharisees doth import when he bade them take Christ and judge him according to their own Law Ioh. 18. 31. * And our Saviour taught the Jews to Hear that is to say To sit in Moses chair is to iudge according to Moses Lawes to obey the Scribes and Pharisees as long as they sate in Moses chair that is to say As long as they judged according to the Gramatical sense of Moses precepts and for that cause our Saviour doth eight times over curse them because they urged the observation of their own traditions with equal authoritie to Moses Lawes Mat. 23. Therefore the Jews did exercise the power of Government in their Sanhedrin Courts except in the case of life and death when the Romans had taken away from them the power of life and death Scholar I had thought this speech of hearing the Scribes and Pharisees that sit in Moses chair had been meant of such Preachers and Teachers as used to expound Moses Laws in their synagogues and not of the Sanhedrin Doctors that expounded Moses Laws in their Sanhedrin Courts or Scholes Teacher This speech Hear the Scribes and Pharisees that sit in Moses chair doth plainly point out unto us that we must hear and obey the Laws and Constitutions of the Scribes and Pharisees as long as they sit in Moses chair that is to say As long as they expounded Moses Laws in a Grammatical sense For as Christ the Angel Act. 7. was the first giver of all Moses Laws and ordained Moses to be the chief head of the Sanhedrin Court so he bade the Jews Hear all those that sit in Moses chair It was Christ that bade Moses charge the Levits to lay up the book of the Law in the side of the Ark as the Standard of all their Laws and Constitutions and as the rule of all their judgements and proceedings Deuterenomie chapter 31. verse 24 25. Scholar You said ere-while that the Elders of the Sanhedrin were the Elders of the Church But how doe you prove that the Elders of the High Sanhedrin were the general Elders of the whole Church in all matters of Religion as well as in matters of the Common weal Teacher I have already proved that Christ did put this power into their hands 1. They are plainly called the Elders of the Church Levit. 4. 14 15. 2. It is evident that every Elder of the chief Synedrion was chosen to be a general Elder of the whole Church Numb 11. 25. 30. And the Elders of this high Synedrion set up other Courts and other Elders in every Citie who judged in all matters of Religion that fell out in their respective parts as The Elders of the Sanhedrin were the general Elders of the Church and therefore they had power to deal in all matters of Religion as well as in civil causes well as in civil matters except the matter were too hard for them and then in such cases Moses ordained before-hand that all such hard matters should be brought in an orderly way unto the high Synedrion which was setled afterwards at Ierusalem And this orderly way of bringing the difficult causes before them is described by the Hebrew Doctors as you may see it set down by Mr Ains in Deut. chap. 17. 9. 3. It is evident that the Elders of the high Synedrion were the general Elders of the Church because they were ordained to bee Judges not only in civil Causes but also in Levitical matters as these places well examined doe fully testifie Deut. 19. 12. and 21. 2. 19 20. and 22. 15. to 19. and 25. 7 8 9. and 27. 1. and 29. 10. and 31. 9. And the Angel-Iehovah Christ 1 Cor. 10. commanded Moses the Magistrate as well as Aaron the Priest to instruct the people in all his Levitical Laws Speak ye to all the people of Israel saying c. that is Teach them to observe all my Levitical Laws Levit. 11. 2. Hence it is evident that if any question did arise about the practise of the Levitical Lawes that Moses the chief Magistrate as he was the Head of the Sanhedrin must expound the true sense and meaning of such Lawes both to the Levits and people and in case any did walk contrary to their Teaching they might correct and punish them as
in Apoc. 90. 108 But they say they whipt the high Priest for his faults â—s much as any other man As for example if the high Priest do marry a widdow and lie with her he was beaten twice once for transgressing this Law He shall not take a widdow and once for this He shall not profane Ains Levit. 21. 15. Yea the Talmud in Sanhedrin sheweth that the high Priest was judged in all sorts as any other man Therefore the high Priest was not by the vertue of his high Priests Office the chief Elder of the National Church But the Judges of the high Sanhedrin whereof the King was the head were the chief Elders of the National Church They had the charge and the burden laid upon them to deal in all Levitical controversies as well as in matters of civil justice for as it was the Angel Acts 7. that gave Moses lively Oracles that said unto Moses the King as well as unto Aaron the Priest as they were chief persons in the high Sanhedrin that he should instruct the people in the observation of all Levitical Ordinances Levit. 11. 2. and so on as it follows in the next Chapter as I have noted above 2. It was Moses the King as well as Aaron the Priest that charged all Israel to observe holy convocations every Sabbath in all their dwellings Levit. 23. 3. Christ commanded them to charge the people to observe the Sabbath 3. It was the Angel that had the Name of God in him that first ordained the Elders of the high Sanhedrin as the general Elders of the Church in all matters of Religion as well as in matters of civil Justice they must regain people from Apostacie Therefore Iehovah the Mediator to whom the Father hath committed all authority and power said to the Judges of the Sanhedrin Hear I pray you O ye heads of Jacob and ye Princes of the house of Israel should not ye know judgement Mica 3. 1. As if Christ should say none ought to be Iudges of the Sanhedrin but wise and godly men such as are able to judge and trie causes exactly according to all the Ordinances of Moses We may take Iehosophats example for a Lanthorn to our feet in this case He charged the Iudges to try all matters of Religion as well as civil affairs 2 Chron. 19. But how could they be competent Iudges except they were learned in the Levitical Laws as well as in the Iudicials This shews what care ought to be taken in all those whom it concerns to seek out for the ablest men that can be found for Elders and Iudges for variety of great and difficult matters appertained to their judgement Vide Ans in Levit. 5. 15. and Deut. 25. 2. 4. It is evident that the Iudges of the Sanhedrin were the general Elders of the whole Church because the Sin-offering of the whole Church was presented to the Lord by their hands For if the whole Church did sinne ignorantly in their practise against any branch of the Law of God through the erroneous teaching of the Elders of the Sanhedrin then as soon as this sinfull practise was found out by any man of Israel the Church must bring a bullock for a sin-offering and yet the whole Church of people were not bound to come to Ierusalem to offer this general Church sinne-offering But the whole Church did it being absent by their Elders onely namely by the Elders of the high Sanhedrin Yet still the question will be who among them was the Churches chief Elder in this action The answer is Not the high Priest although he were one of their Elders chosen to be of the Sanhedrin But the Elders of the Sanhedrin Court in general or any three of them did bring this bullock as they were the Churches Elders they laid their hand upon the head of the said Bullock in the name of the whole Church whose sin-offering it was verse 14. 21. Therefore the Elders of the high Sanhedrin might be called the Church for they were the whole Church representatively But after the Churches Elders had thus presented the said Bullock for the sinne-offering of the whole Church it belonged to the high Priect as he was the chief anointed Priest to kill the said Bullock before Iehovah Ains Levit 4. 13 14 15. Hence it follows that the Judges of the high Sanhedrin Court were the General Elders of the whole Church and this thing is put out of doubt because they are plainly called the Elders of the whole Congregation in v. 15. This is so plain that nothing can be plainer spoken and so in like sort the Elders of all the other Sanhedrins being many thousands in all were to be accounted as the Elders of the Church also in all the parts of Canaan in their respective Tribes they must bear the burden with the high Sanhedrin as their Delegates And when the Churches sin-offering was to be offered Aaron the high Priest as he was an Elder of the Sanhedrin must speak to the sons of Israel to bring it namely he must speak to the chief sons of Israel which were the Elders of the high Sanhedrin Court to bring it vide Ains Levit. 9. 3. For these Elders were the highest Officers that the Church had And therefore the term Elder is a superior Title to the term Bishop For the term Bishop is given to those inserior Officers that attended upon the Elders of the Sanhedrin Court Numb 3â— 14. vide also Ains in Deut. 16. 18. Yet an Apostate Priest might be a Bishop after his repentance but he might not be an Elder of the Sanhedrin neither might he be restored to be a full Priest any more but he might serve as a Bishop in a place of inferiority in the Temple Ains Levit. 21. 20. ult And I grant that the term Bishop is sometimes given to the highest degree of men For it is sometimes given to the Emperors of Asia as a Title of Honour to their Office And Eleazar the Prince of Princes over the Levites did exercise the Bishops Office over them Ains in Numb 3. 32. That is he did oversee them And in that sense every inferiour Officer that takes the charge to oversee others is a Bishop and so the term Bishop may properly be given to all Officer both high and lâ—w that take upon them the charge to oversee others as well in civil as in religious matters But the term Elder is never given to inferior Officers as the term Bishop is this distinction I bring in for the honour of the term Elder by way of parenthesis onely Scholar Was the power of Excommunication given to the first Elders of the Sanhedrin when they were first ordained in the wilderness or not Teacher I make no question but Iehovah the Mediator from Iehovah gave them all power that was sutable to the well ordering of his Church from the very first time that he ordained them to be the general Elders of his Church in the
Tyrants When Zachariah the son of Iehoiadah was stoned between the Temple and the Altar he said The Lord look upon it and require it This Anathema maranatha took effect For when Nabuzaradan came into the Temple he saw some bloud upon the pavement not washed off thereupon he asked what bloud that was It was answered That it was the bloud of a Prophet that foretold all these things that now are come upon us and we rose up and killed him Yea said Nebuzaradan and I will pay you for it The reupon he caused his Souldiers to fall upon the young Priests and they killed eight thousand of them This the Iews record in Tugueh fol-69 Col. 1. Scholar I cannot tell what to think of the use and practice of this great Excommunication whether it be any Church priviledge or no But I will leave it for the present and desire rather to search out the lesser Excommunication which is granted on all hands to be a special priviledge belonging to all Christian Churches And very learned Divines do affirm that Iesus Christ did first ordain it in Matth. 1. 18. 17. as a special Ordinance for the use of all Christian Churches to the worlds end Teacher I cannot believe yet that Iesus Christ did first ordain excommunication in Matth. 18. 17. as a new Ordinance Christ did not first ordain Excommunication in Mat. 18. 17. for the use of Christian Churches I have already shewed that Iesus Christ did institute many particular Churches or synagogues among the Jews and that they had the use of Excommunication among them of old time therefore I cannot as yet believe that Christ did now first ordain excommunication as a new Ordinance for the use of Christian Churches in Matth. 18. 17. Secondly It is evident that Christ did not now first ordain excommunication as a new Ordinance for the use of all Christian Churches in Matth. 18. 17. because Luke relates a part of this exhortation touching private brotherly dealing and makes no mention of proceeding on to excommunication which doubtles he would not have omitted if Christ had now first ordained it for the use of Christian Churches Scholar Very learned Divines do think that the circumstances of the Text Matth. 18. 17. do plainly demonstrate that Christ did now first ordain excommunication as a new Ordinance for the use of all Christian Churches to the Worlds end and that Christ exhorted his Apostles to put this new Ordinance in practise assoon as they should plant any new particular Christian Churches Teacher I desire that the circumstance of this Text may be alledged and weighed whether any of them do prove the ordination of excommunication at this time or no. Scholar The first considerable circumstance is this If he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as an Heathen and Publican Hence I gather That none could account his Brother of the same profession as an Heathen or Publican until the Church had excommunicated him Teacher Your collection is not sound for first If this sentence had implyed his excommunication by the Church then Christ would have said thus Let him be to it that is to say to the Church Or let him be to them that is to say to all the members of the Church as an Heathen and a Publican But Christ doth not say so but let him be to thee that is to say let him be to thee that art the wronged Brother as an heathen and a Publican if he refused to hear the Church though he never were excommunicate by them For it is a point of good Justice and of Christian Wisdom to account an obstinate sinner that will not hear the Church no better then an Heathen or Publican And thus godly David did when his brethren Israelites sought to betray his life into the hands of Saul he both esteemed them and called them Heathens for it his words run thus Lo they lay wait for my soul yet not for my trespass nor for my sin for I have done them no wrong at all Therefore thou O Jehovah God of hosts God of Israel awake to visit all the Heathens Psal 59. 4 5. and in verse 9. he saith thus Thou Jehovah wilt laugh at them thou wilt mock at the Heathens Thus David esteemed his brethren the Jews no better then heathens for their trecherous endeavours and yet I believe he knew they were not excommunicated by the Church In like sort he calls the Ziphims of the Tribe of Iudah Strangers that is to say Heathens for their trecherous endevours against his life Psal 54. 5. In like sort Ieremiah ranks the profane Jews with the uncircumcised Heathens Ier. 9. 26. and Iohn calls the persecuting Papists Gentiles Apoc. 11. 2. 18. and Heathens also in chap. 19. 15. and Isaiah calls the Kings and People of Judah Kings of Sodom and People of Gomorrha Es 1. 10. and yet I believe none of these were so esteemed and called because they were first excommunicated by the Church Therefore you cannot conclude that Matthew doth mean that the impenitent brother was first excommunicate by the Church because Christ bade the innocent party to esteem him as an Heathen and Publican Scholar There is another circumstance in verse 18. which doth imply Excommunication as all Interpreters say The words of the Text thus speak Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven c. Hence Interpreters conclude that the Church by the power of Excommunication do bind sinners in their sins on earth and when they repent then they loose them from their sins on earth by discharging them from the sentence of Excommunication and that Christ doth ratifie all their doings in heaven Teacher I do not look upon this 18. verse in the same sense that you take it I do not apprehend it to have any necessary dependance on the three former verses but I take this 18. verse to speak of another matter distinct from the former For it is evident that Christ doth use many miscellaneous exhortations in this Chapter which have no dependence on each other Secondly I say that this sentence in verse 18. doth not agree to the terms of the Churches Excommunication For then Christ would have said thus Whatsoever they bind on earth that is to say Whatsoever they the whole Church both Officers and Members do bind on earth c. But Christ doth not say so But whatsoever ye shall bind on earth namely ye that are my Apostles and Disciples Or else Christ would have said thus Whatsoever thou bindest on earth in relation to the phrase afore-going in verse 17. Let him be to thee This phrase Whatsoever ye bind on earth c. is a Talmudd phrase which phrase of speaking Christ had formerly used to his Apostles when he gave them authority to preach the Gospel in Matth. 16. 19. and now again he doth put them in remembrance of their calling and power to preach the Gospel by repeating the said Talmud phrase and he
unrepentant trespassing brother or else how could his Disciples practice his Doctrine seeing he doth nor explain himself to speak of Christian Churches Thirdly It is evident that Christ spake of such a Church as was in present being among the Jews because he applies his speeches to the present Jews capacity Let him be to thee as an Heathen and Publican This phrase is not sutable to a particular Christian Church for Christians might company with Heathens and Publicans But the Jews might not hold communion with any unclean and uncircumcised Heathens as Peters refusing to go to Cornelius doth testifie Acts 10. Neither did Christians hate Publicans but the Jews in general did because they raised them up in the point of Tribute to Cesar But converted Christians were allowed to eat and drink with Heathens in civil feastings except it were in the Idols Temple and they might also eat and drink with Publicans as our Saviour and his Disciples often did though the Jews in general through their own unjust tradition took offence at Christ for it Scholar Can you make it manifest by Scripture with good reason that a Court of Magistrates are a Church Learned men affirm the contrary They affirm that a Court of Magistrates is no where called a Church in Scripture Teacher I will answer you fully and plainly I affirm that a Court of Magistrates is often called a Church in Scripture First It is evident that the Hebrew word Kahal the Church A Court of Elders is a Church in Scripture phrase is in Deut. 31. 30. must be understood of the Elders and Officers of the Church onely which also were the Magistrates of the Common-weal they did now assemble unto Moses out of all the Tribes as it appears by comparing verse 30. with verse 28. Therefore the said Elders with their Officers attending on them were called the Church They were the whole Church representatively and it may be further observed that Kahal in this place is translated by the seventy Ecclesia the Church Secondly If the whole Church did sin ignorantly in their practise against some branch or other of the Law of God then the Church must bring a sin-offering and it is called the Churches sin-offering in Levit. 4. 13 14. 21. and yet the Common people of the twelve Tribes did not assemble to Jerusalem to present this Church sin-offering but the Elders or Magistrates of the Sanhedrin did it without the presence of the people Levit. 4. 15. Therefore the Elders of the Court Sanhedrin are a true Church representatively Thirdly Kahal the Church 1 Chron. 13. 2. 4. compared with verse 1. is nothing else but the Captains of thousands and hundreds with the Governours or Elders of the Court Sanhedrin and the 70. translate this Kahal by Ecclesia Fourthly Kahal the Church in 1 Chron. 29. 1. 10. 20. Is nothing else but the Elders of the Court Sanhedrin together with other chief Princes and Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds c. As it is evident by comparing this place with 1 Chron. 28. 1. 8. This Kahal also is translated by the seventie Ecclesia 5. Kahal the Church in 2 Chron. 1. 3. 5. is nothing else but the Captains of thousands and hundreds with the Judges and every Governour in all Israel all these did accompany Salomon to seek the Lord at Gibeon all this assembly of Governors and chiefe Fathers are called a great Church This Kahal is also translated by the 70. Ecclesia Sixthly Kahal the Church 2 Chron. 23. 28. 31. 32. in 2 Chron. 3. 2. 4. is explained in 2 Chron. 29. 20. to be nothing else but the Rulers of the City assembled together in a Sanhedrin Court that is to say there was the 70. Elders of the high Sanhedrin and the Elders of the two other Sanhedrins who had their residence in Jerusalem as I noted above in opening the kinds of Sanhedrins and this matter is also further explained in verse 28. 31. 32. and in 2 Chron. Chap. 30. 2. 4. This Assembly of Elders is termed a Church in all the said verses both in the Hebrew and in the seventy The generaltie of the people did not come to the first Passe-over in the first moneth Therefore Hezekiah took counsel of this Church of Elders and they counselled him to gather together all the people on the fourteenth day of the second moneth So then Hezekiah and the Elders made a Church by themselves in the point of Counsel in the first moneth But in the second moneth both the Elders and the people together made a very great Church and these degrees of Church meetings were ordained by Moses If one Trumpet alone sounded then the Elders came alone to the Church-meeting but if both Trumpets sounded together then both Elders and People did meet together in one Church-Assembly vide Numb 10. 7. Kahal the Church translated by the seventy Ecclesia in 1 Chron. 28. 14. is nothing else but the Elders of Samaria assembled together For by the counsel of the Prophet Oded certain of the Heads of the children of Ephraim stood up against the Souldiers that were returned from warring against Iudah And they said unto the Souldiers ye shall not bring the captaives into this City and the armed men obeyed their voice and left all the captives before the Princes and before all the Church This Church therefore is nothing else but the Magistrates of Samaria which were assembled to this place by the counsel of Oded the Prophet to prevent the further occasion of Gods wrath 8. The word Church in Deut. 23. 1 2 3. 8. is Kahal in all the four places and in the Seventy Ecclesia in one of these four places it is said that a Moabite and an Ammonite may not enter into the Church of Iehovah for ever This place doth not exclude a converted Ammonite or a Moabite from the Church of the Jewes but yet it did exclude them from bearing any Office in their Church or Publique Courts and so both the Hebrew Doctors and some learned Christians do understand the word Church in this text to be spoken of the Church of Elders assembled in the Sanhedrin Court a Moabite or an Ammonite though converted to the Faith yet they might not bear any Office in the Church-Court So Mr Broughton expounds the word Church in this place and so doth Mr Ainsworth in effect In another of these four places it is said The Priest which was hurt in his privy members might not enter into the Church of Iehovah Deut. 23. 1. He might not enter in to wait upon his Office as a Priest compleat neither might he enter into the Sanhedrin Court to bear any Office there as long as that part was defective but he was not excluded from coming into the Temple he might come thither to do some inferiour works As for example He might cleave wood in the Wood-chamber and in that respect he must have his portion in the holy things therefore he was not
excluded from the Church at large he was only excluded from bearing special Office in the Church as a Priest compleat and as a Magistrate For this phrase He shall not enter in or come in is expounded To beare Office as a Magistrate 1 Kings 3. 9. 9. The Congregation of the gods Psal 82. 1. is translated by the Seventy the Synagogue of the gods it may be as well translated the Church of the gods for the seventy do often put the term Synagogue for the term Church and for the term Congregation vid. Ains Exod. 21. 6. 10. The Congregation before whom the man-slayer must stand in judgement Numb 35. 12. c. and Ios 20. 6. is termed by the Seventy the Synagogue or Church of Elders for I finde these three termes Congregation Synagogue and Church often put the one for the other as termes Synonima 11. Salomon describes the course of Justice against an impenitent person much like to that course of Justice which Christ doth direct us to in Matth. 18. 15 16 17. He saith That hee whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickednesse shall bee shewed before the whole Church Prov. 26. 26. The Hebrew word in this place is Kahal but the Seventy translate it the Synedrion or the Session of Elders Salomon by this phrase his hatred is covered by deceit doth imply that hee will not acknowledge his fault to his neighbour but did labour to cover his hatred to his brother by deceit thereupon the matter must be brought before the Church or Court of Elders called the Synedrion And our Saviour doth tell us that contumelious nick-names such as Raca is in the Talmud were a just cause to bring such a person before the Elders of the Synedrion Matth. 5. 22. or at least they were lyable to be brought thither and the Greek word in Mat. 5. 22. is Synedrion and so the word Church in Ier. 15. 17. is Synedrion in the seventy 12. The Church is commanded to rejoyce in the Feast of Tabernacles with exceeding joy with musick songs and palm-branches in their hands Levit. 23. 40. But this kinde of joy was not acted by the whole multitude of the Church but by the Elders of the Sanhedrin Court only for they were the whole Church representatively vid. M. Ains in Levit. 23. 40. 13. Not only the Elders assembled in the high Sanhedrin but all the Elders of their inferiour Sanhedrins in each Session might well be called a Church as in Psal 107. 32. Let them exalt him in the Church of the people and praise him in the sitting of the Elders The term Church and the sitting of the Elders are terms Synonima in this Text. The manner how the Jews did exalt God in the Church of the people and praise him in the sitting of the Elders is thus recorded by the Hebrew Doctors Men made confession unto God for four sorts of deliverances before ten men whereof two of them must be wise men After this manner they exalted God before the Church of the people because it was done before some of the Elders of the Church who may be called a Church for so they are called representatively And marvel not that two Elders or two wise men are called A Church for if Symeon and Levi assembled together in Counsel about the destruction of the Sychemites be called Kahal a Church as they are in Gen. 49. 6. then two wise men or Elders of the Sanhedrin with eight of the people in their company may as well be called A Church of people 14. Kahal the Church Prov. 5. 14. translated by the Septuagint Ecclesia means the Assembly or Court of Elders the words of the text run thus I was almost in all evil in the midst of the Church and Assembly The Seventy have the like phrase upon the word Church in 1 Chron. 28. 8. Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the Church of the Lord this Church was nothing else but the Congregation of Elders compared with verse 1. and with chap. 29. 1 10 20. These Elders were the chief Doctours in Moses Laws and therefore those that lived in evil contrary to their teaching might well fear the evil of punishment when they stood in the middest of their Church and Assembly as Salomon warneth Prov. 12. 13 14. 15. Iesus Ben Syrack one of the former Hebrew Doctors since the Prophets puts the word Church for a counsel of wise and learned men He first shews the un-aptnesse of Artificers for matters of Counsel and Judicature they shall not be sought unto saith he in matters of publique Counsel neither shall they sit high in the Church nor sit in the Iudges seat nor understand the sentences of Iudgement Ecclus. 8. 24. 33. In these words he doth plainly make the Elders of the Court Sanhedrin to be a Church by themselves 16. The same Authour saith that the adulterous wife shall be brought into the Church and inquisition and examination shall be made of her children Ecclus. 23. 22 24. he saith plainly that the adulterous woman shall be brought before the Church of the Elders and they shall make inquisition concerning the Legitimacy or bastardy of her children And after this sort the Congregation or Church of Elders sit to judge them that had taken strange wives Ezra 10. 14. 16. 17. It is no more absurditie to call the Elders of the Sanhedrin a Church then it is to call a Court of Heathen Magistrates a Church But a Court of Heathen Magistrates are called a Church properly for the Town-Clerk of Ephesus told Demetrius and his consorts that if they had any thing to lay against Paul and Alexander it should be determined in a lawfull Church that is to say it should be legally determined in an Assembly of Magistrates Act. 19. 39. Therefore seeing a Court of Heathen Magistrates are properly called a Church why may not that Church in Mat. 18. 17. be taken for a Court of Elders seeing the Elders of all their Synedrions were the chosen Elders of the Church for all matters and therefore were or ought to bee learned and expert in all the Lawes of Moses both Leviticall and Judiciall 18. Those eminent persons in the Church of Corinth that spake with Tongues and prophesied are called a Church by the figure Synecdoche 1 Cor. 14. 23. Thus the text is when the whole Church is come together into one and all speak strange tongues No man that is well advised will say that the word Church in this place doth mean the whole people in general the word all must not have that sence except you will say also that the whole multitude spake with strange tongues but no man I think will say so therefore the word all and the word Church must have reference to those only that spake with strange Tongues These only are called the whole Church by the figure Synecdoche Likewise it is said every one that hath a Psalme or hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath interpretation this
Typified all the outward Professors of the Faith in all Nations as well as the inward Professors of the Faith all the world over In this outward Temple or Church Antichrist did set up the throne of his Dominion to rule them and govern them after his own will by his own Laws and Decrees Secondly What other Church was it which Paul did persecute but the universall visible Church of Christ He saith that in times past he did persecute the Church of God and wasted it he is not said to persecute any one particular Church but he persecuted the Church of God in general not in Iudea onely but in other strange Conntries and Cities also that is to say he persecuted divers Godly persons that believed in Christ and which as yet continued in several Synagogues in several Countries Acts 22. 19. 26. 11. All these visible Professors of the Faith in several Synagogues and in several Countries the Apostle calls them all together The Church of God in the singular number Gal. 1. 13. Phil. 3. 6. Though they were not personally united into one particular visible Church yet they were united together by the same Faith into one universal visible Church The Jerusalem from Heaven 3. What other Church was it whereof Paul was made a Minister that he might preach unto the Heathen the unsearchable riches and mysteries of Christ that the Church might know the manifold wisdom of God Eph. 3. 8. 10. verse 21. He desires that praise may be given for it in the Church through all Generations for ever But Paul was not made a Minister to any one particular Church but to the Church of Christ in General 4. Paul tells the Corinthians that God had ordained in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets c. For what particular Church did God ordain these Officers surely not for any particular Church therefore they were ordained for the good of the general visible Church dispersed over all the world where ever a doore of entrance was opened to them and when Christ gave them a new Commission to preach the Gospel at his Ascention he did not send them to any particular Church but appointed them to preach the Gospel to all Nations in the world 5. Christ made a promise unto Iacob That he should grow into a Church of Nations Gen. 28. 3. Gen. 35. 15. 48. 4. This Church of Nations must be understood of an universal visible Church dispersed into all nations as well as of the invisible Church as I noted in the first mark of an universall visible Church The universal visible Church doth include the Elect among others that hope to go to Heaven as well as they by their outward Profession Therefore all outward Professors of the Faith may be well called the Children of Iacob because they profess the Faith of Iacob and because they are begotten to this Faith by the children of Iacob For the twelve Apostles and the seventy Disciples were of Iacobs loyns They begate other Preachers who begate many children unto the Faith of Iacob Therefore all these professors of the Faith may well be called the children of Iacob Galathians 6. 16. And thus Iacob did grow into a Church of Nations The Hebrew Doctors say That God did not onely ordain the twelve Tribes to make one National Church but they say also That every Tribe was a Church by it self as I have formerly noted It is written in 2 Chron. 20. 5. that Iehosaphat in the Church of Iudah Here the Tribe of Iudah is called a Church And so it is again in verse 24. and in 2 Chron. 30. 25. Therefore say the Hebrew Doctors When the Church brought a Bullock for a sinne-offering as it was commanded in Leviticus 4. 14. The Elders of the Sanhedrin brought twelve Bullocks for twelve Churches because every Tribe made a Church by it self Vide Ainsworth in Leviticus 4. 14. and Numbers 15. 34. And it seems to me that every Tribe made such a kind of Church by it self as a Christian Nation is For I apprehend that a Christian Nation may be called a Church as well as a Tribe by it self may Scholar How can such visible National Professors be called a Church or be called the Kingdom of Heaven seeing most outward Professors are but Hypocrites Teacher It is true most outward Professors are but Hypocrites yet these together with some Godly among them may well be called The Church of Christ and by the noblest part they may well be called The Kingdom of Heaven because their profession is of an Heavenly calling And so that place must be understood in Matthew 13. 19. 41. 42. 44. 47. and Matthew 8. 12. Apoc. 8. 10. and 10. 1. and 12. 14. And for the outward Covenant sake he doth outwardly own them rule them govern them as his Church and People and if any do wrong them he doth revenge their cause Therefore all visible Churches have great priviledges Scholar Very learned men do think that none ought to be admitted into a particular visible Church as a Member thereof until the same Church shall judge them to have true grace in their souls by trying and examining the marks of their effectual conversion for they do not hold it lawfull to receive any one that is an Hypocrite into a particular visible Church Teacher If none ought to be admitted into a particular visible Who are to be accounted as fit persons to be admitted as members of a particular visible Church Church until they manifest the Truth of Grace in their souls then doubtless Christ hath given infallible rules whereby the Church may discern aright of the Truth of their Grace and distinguish it from close hypocrisie But I must confess that I am to seek where to find those rules For though the Scriptures have perfect rules in general yet when these rules come to be applied to particular persons then am I to seek for certainty of judgement I conceive it is one of the royal Prerogatives of the Lord Jesus to know what particular persons have the truth of Grace in their Souls Questionless all such are the most fit persons that are to be joyned as Members of particular Churches But yet if there be any other that do call upon the Name of the Lord and depart from iniquity our Lord Jesus Christ would have us to esteem them also as fit matter for a particular visible Church until by their scandalous walking they deserve to be excommunicated I will no more speak of this because divers godly learned have dealt in the Argument to very good purpose Yet this I would say let Churches both Teachers and Members be careful that they be not too censorious and pragmatical lest they turn men upon the stumbling blocks of Anabaptistry c. CHAP. III. That Schools of Learning were at the first erected by Jesus Christ for the breeding of a Succession of able Men for Pastors Teachers Elders Iudges c. to the end of the world