of Religion determine Controversies of Faith and their determinations are to be received with great honor and conscientious respect and obligation as from Christ and if an offending Church refuse to submit to their determinations they may withdraw from them and deny them Church-Communion which sentence of non-Communion may be ratified and backed with the authority of the Magistrate and therefore Synodical determinations may oblige those Churches which did not choose them nor make any reference to them Quest 20. But they cannot judg authoritatively nor excommunicate one or more offending Churches they may only withdraw Communion from them for if a national Synod should exercise Jurisdiction then every member of it would be a national Officer and have relation of Elders to all and every the Churches within a Nation and why are they not to preach to all the Churches as well as to rule over them and to feed by doctrine as well as by discipline Answ As to the point of non-Communion of Churches or persons we say 1. If a Synod of Churches can proceed no further but to non-Communion an offending Church then the Synod hath in this no more power over a particular Church or a particular person then one brother hath over another brother yea over a whole Church for they say that a brother may admonish declare and withdraw Communion 2. Separated Churches of Independents Brownists Anabaptists c. count non-Communion no punishment to themselves but a priviledg or if it be a censure it is no other then they inflict on all the Churches in the world besides 3. It is not suitable to the wisdom of Jesus Christ to apply the strongest remedy for the weakest and least dangerous disease viz. the case of an offending brother and the weakest remedy to the most dangerous disease viz. the case of an offending Church 2. Excommunication of Churches by Synods is a thing not known in the reformed Churches but only of some particular persons in those Churches which are most eminently guilty the meeting at Jerusalem censured the false Teachers at Antioch e Acts 15. not the Church of Antioch As when a Prince or State makes a a Law against Rebels or Traytors to punish them with death in case an Army of such Rebels or Traytors or a whole Province rebels this multitude doth not excuse any one person of them from being obnoxious to that Law or the penalty of it yet it may be a reason why such a Prince or State should not in prudence execute that rigor of the Law upon every person of them but upon some principal offenders yet is that whole Province or Army of Rebels subordinate to that Prince or State and the Laws thereof 3. It followeth not that if a Pastor be a Member of an authoritative national Assembly that then he is a national Pastor and should preach to every Congregation over which he rules For 1. As Knights and Burgesses in Parliament are not each of them severally and singly Kingdom Officers though in that body they do many authoritative acts relating to the whole Kingdom and Colonels in a Councel of War may order the whole Army and yet not be each of them a general Officer so it is an incongruous and unjust speech to say that every Member of an authoritative national Assembly is a national Church Officer 2. As a Colonel doth not singly and severally govern the whole Army but joyntly with others in a Councel of War and therefore cannot be expected to lead up or train every Regiment so a Pastor who is a Member of a national Assembly doth not separatim govern all the Churches in a Nation but joyntly with others and therefore it cannot be concluded that he should separatim feed them 3. All that can be concluded is this that he should feed them by doctrine as well as by discipline and so he doth he with the rest doth put forth doctrinal power to bring light to the Churches as is acknowledged they may and ought upon occasion and why then may they not feed by discipline as well as by doctrine why may they not admonish offenders And if they may and this admonition be a censure why may they not proceed to other acts of censure 4. Elders receive their power for the whole Church of Christ upon earth and though the ordinary exercise of their power be confined to their own particular change yet having a call they may preach administer the Sacraments or rule in any Congregation or do one of these and not the other where their call and the necessity of the Church requireth the one and not the other Quest 21. But can you shew that Elders may put forth any act of power and authority over other Churches Answ Yes but 1. it is acknowledged by Mr Burroughs f Burroughs Irenicon and as he saith by other Congregational men also not only that Synods are the Ordinances of God but also that the Elders thereof are to be looked upon as the Officers of Jesus Christ when they do such Synodical acts as they may do in relation to many Congregations 2. A Minister may administer the Sacrament as a Minister for as a gifted man he cannot administer it to a Member of another Church and if to one then to two three six twelve twenty c. which it may be are the whole Congregation and that by vertue of Communion of Churches and therefore they are still considered as of distinct Churches for Communion must be betwixt two at the least as Congregational men assert and if it be lawful to do it once it is not unlawful to do it twice thrice or as often as the same call and occasion requires it and if he may do it when Members of other Churches come to him he may as well do it when he goes to them unless the place or his or their going or coming to the place do alter the case which is no whit probable and if a Minister may act ministerially to the Members of one other Church why not of two three or more Churches when they are together may not the Minister of any of those Churches administer the Sacrament to all of them If he may why may not all the Ministers of the said Churches joyn together in that Administration If no which Elders are to be suspended And if Elders may joyn together in acting ministerially in point of the Sacrament to divers Congregations why not in point of censures Where doth the Scripture require the one and not the other how comes the one to overthrow the relation of Elders and people and not the other 3 Tichicus of Asia is commended to the several Churches of Ephesus and Coloss not only as a beloved brother a gifted brother but as a faithful Minister g Ephes 6 21. 22. Col. 4. 7 and sent to them why did Paul send a Minister and commend him to them as a faithful Minister if he might not exercise ministerial acts in either
ordination by the Prelates Answ No the Bishops were Presbyters and so more enabled by the Word to ordain then any non-Presbyters Prelacy though an humane Institution did no more annihilate their being Presbyters then Pharisaism did the Jewish Priest-hood and they did ordain as Presbyters for Bishops and Presbyters are but made one order by the very Papists which also judg that if a Deacon should be made a Bishop persaltum he hath no power to ordein Presbyters The Elders ordeined by the Apostles in every City did in their meetings chuse one of their fellow Elders if no Apostle nor Apostolick man did reside with them if they did they by their places were superior to any Presbyter and Moderators in any convention of Elders and so should be at this day if any Apostle were now alive and resident to be President of their company and Moderator of their actions now Presidency is natural and necessary for the regulating of matters Beza saith it is scriptural and that this President was the same which S. John called the Angel the continuance of presidency in one man was not then found to be either unlawful or inconvenient To this president the Fathers afterward appropriated the name of Bishop and such as these being grave men and of great repute and Pastors of the chief Cities and having the spirit of Government which every godly Minister hath not partly through their own usurpation partly through the sloth and pusillanimity of the Presbyters partly by Law and Canon were invested with too much power yet did not they no nor our English Bishops ordain Presbyters without the assistance of other Presbyters and therefore their ordination comes neerer to the Scripture-way of ordination by the Presbytery then any ordination by one or many non-Presbyters can do one two or three deputed Members being nothing like a Presbytery or a company of Presbyters and is by this present Parliament and Synod as formerly also by the reformed Churches and godly non-conformists notwithstanding their opposition to prelacy judged valid and not to be changed for any popular ordination when the Church was in the wilderness when Antichrist most raigned and raged God did preserve some fundamental doctrines and the essence of Baptism and the essence of a true Ministry dispensing it and they that is her Pastors did feed her there u Rev. 12. 6. 14. Quest 12. Who have power to preach the Word in the Church Answ Pastors and Teachers that have also authority to baptize w Mat. 28 20. God having joyned them together no man ought to put them asunder x Mat. 19. 16. 2. Preaching is a principal part of the Ministerial Office y 1 Per. 5. 2 1 Tim. 3. 2 2 Tim. 4 2 requiring more sufficiency then any other part z 2 Cor. 2. 16 hence the ability of expectants is best tryed by preaching and of as much dignity and trust as the dispensing of the Sacraments * Iohn 4. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 17 which yet is confessed may not be administred by private men 3. God hath by a special office distinguished Ministers from other men and separated them to be Pastors and Teachers a Eph 4. 11 and therefore this order is not to be violated nor should men enter in at the window but by the door b Ioh. 10. 1 2 4. God hath severely punisht usurpers of the Ministerial function c Num. 16 9. 10 1 Sam. 13. 9 12 13 14 yea when there seemed to be great necessity of it d 1 San. 13 8 2 Sam. 6 6 7 8 9. 5. None ought to preach except they be sent and called thereunto e Rem 10. 15. Ier. 23. 21. Heb. 5. 4 5. but giftedness doth not include in it sufficient mission or vocation For as women may be gifted which yet are forbidden to preach f 1 Cor 14 34. 1 Tim. 1. 11. 12. so no man may exercise Regal or Magistratical power or do the office of a Constable Lawyer Attorney a Reader in one of the Inns of Court a Justice of Peace a Judg a Speaker in Parliament a Captain Major Colonel or General only upon this ground because he is conceived to be gifted for it 6. It is said God hath made his people Kings and Priests g Rev. 1. 6 1 Pet. 2. 5. but not that 〈◊〉 hath made them Prophets for though God did sometimes give an immediate and extraordinary commission to do some Magistratical acts h Num. 25 7 8. Acts 5. 5. and the time was when Gods Holy Spirit being extraordinarily poured out on all flesh their sons and daughters did prophesie viz. some so extraordinarily anointed did so i Joel 2 28 with Acts 2 17. as they did also see visions and dream dreams and then it was also mens duty to desire any spiritual gifts as speaking with tongues but especially prophesie k 1 Cor. 14 1 2. but now it is unlawful to desire the one gift or the other God not inabling gifted men now to understand the original languages as then he did 7. Teaching in the Church doth imply authority over them that are taught l 1 Tim 1. 11 12. but private men though gifted have not authority therefore they are not to teach or usurp authority 8. God hath not given them any power to receive maintenance which is due to those that labor in the Word and Doctrine m 1 Tim. 5 17 18 1 Cor. 9. 3 4 5 6 9 11 Quest 13. What maintenance mean you If you mean Tythes or any other setled maintenance neither private men nor Ministers ought to receive such maintenance Answ Tythes had many enemies sundry exceptions made against the payment of them nor was it counted any robbery to detain them n Mal. 3. 8 2 Chro. 31 4 5 c. when both God himself and the Magistrates did expresly require the due payment of them and when there were few or no Sectaries at least not in arms and authority which endeavored the ruin of the Ministry especially when there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes then the Levites were glad to wander abroad for maintenance o Iude 17 7 8 9. 10 11. 19. 1 Yet 2. the Levites though a small Tribe p Ainswâ—rth in Num. 3. 39 if a Tribe there being twelve besides scarce the 60. part of the house of Jacob had in Judea a small Country 48. Cities with their Suburbs 2000. cubites from the wall on every side q Iosh 21. 41. Num 35. 2. Lev. 25. 32 33 34 and their first fruits r Num 18. 15 16 17 18. Deut. 18 4. and a great part of the manifold sacrifices s Lev. 2 3. 7. 5 7 8 33. 34 and free-will offerings of all the males of the children of Israel which were to appear thrice yearly before the Lord with some offering t Exod. 34 23. 23. 15 16 17.
they are And lastly As for setled maintenance 1. The Scripture doth allude to a certain and setled maintenance that should be given to the Ministry s Ezek. 45 1 5 in comparing it with servants hire and wages t 1 Tim 5 18 and a soldiers pay v 1 Cor. 9 7 both which are certain 2. God doubtless hath as much care of the maintenance of the Ministers of the New Testament as of the Old shall we then think that he did allow the one certain maintenance which none could deprive them of and make the other uncapable of such maintenance 3. When a Minister hath set-maintenance he knows better how to proportion his living his alms his expences for the publike his provision for his children and how to keep hospitality 4. Tythes are not in one sence setled or stinted maintenance for they are more or less according as the Husbandman soweth and God prospereth as Corn is little or much good or bad well or ill gotten dear or cheap they that do receive Tythes do rise or fall with them that pay them 5. Magistrates should be nursing Fathers and Mothers to the Church w Isai 49 23 they should bring their glory and honor into it x Rev. 21 24 26 And may they not assign certain maintenance to the Ministers of the Gospel which they may do to their meanest servants yea to to the meanest men in the Kingdom if so they please But of this enough Quest 14. Who may lawfully be admitted into the Church Answ All that profess Faith and Repentance y Mat. 3 6 7. Acts 2 41 47 Acts 8 37 I speak of Jews Heathens and other strangers to the Church not of children born within the Church which may be baptized before any such personal profession and are to be accounted within the Church by virtue of their parents being within the Church except there be some just ground of personal prejudice against them as in the case of Saul whom the Apostles might well suspect to be still a Jew a Persecutor and a Spy and that he but assay'd to joyn himself to them to atchieve his wicked ends till they heard Barnabas his testomony concerning him z Act 9 26 27 28 But secondly there is no precept or president of the calling of Christians before they could be admitted into the Church to give account of the work of grace in their heart or of a Congregation judging whether that work was wrought or no or of their meeting together for prayer and mutual conference to be satisfied of the good estate one of another or of their deferring admission till they had such satisfaction nor did Jesus Christ as man know Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round a Jordan with whom he was baptized a Mat. 3 6 7 nor were John Baptist the Apostles and those thousands and myriades which they baptized satisfied in their consciences of the regeneration each of other esteeming each other to be a real Saint nor did the Jewish Church though called Saints b Psa 89. 5 7. Psa 149 1. Exo. 19 5 6 consist only of such which were at least in the judgment of Charity sincere Converts nor doth Pauls writing to the Church of Corinth called to be Saints evince that at the time of his writing to them much less before or after he did judg the Corinthian Church to consist wholy of true Saints the contrary is evident c 1 Cor. 3 1 2. 5 1 2 11 21. 2 Cor. 12 20 21 1 Cor. 15 34 The Churches charity is but a leaden rule no certain one some mens charity being more some less d Acts 15. 37 38 39 and the same mens charity being larger at sometimes then at others and to some men as those of their own opinions kinred benefactors c. then to others whence it followeth that some men may sometimes lawfully admit such which others yea themselves at other times may lawfully reject the case in it self being the very same Quest 15. How come particular Churches to be one in themselves and to be distinguished one from another Answ First Their habitation is in this case considerable it being agreeable to the Law of Nature and Scripture that there should be Parishes or Churches should be confined within convenient local limits For 1. else the members of a particular Church migh live 10. 20. 50 an 100. miles each from other without blame 2. The word constantly holds forth that the Christian inhabitants of a City Town or place were the Church in that City Town or place 3. Churches are usually denominated from places as the Church of Jerusalem Rome Antioch c. and Cities and Churches do expound one another a Acts 14 23. Titus 1 5. Acts 16 4 5 4. They that did remove their habitations did it's very probable fall into membership with those Churches whither they did remove b Act. 18 2 24 25 26 Rom. 16 2 5. If Church members be not resident amongst themselves how can Pastors be resident amongst them c 1 Pet 5 2 6. Cohabitation of Church-members hath divers paterns in Scripture uncontrolled by precepts and other paterns For no instance can be shewed that any dwelt neerer to one true Church though corrupt as Corinth Laodicea Sardis c. and was a member of a Church in another City or Town as Cenchrea or that any dwelt within the civil comunion of the members of a Church which is oft for worldly ends and was not a member of that Church or that Christians dwelling remote one from another were of one particular Congregation 7. That none but those that cohabite should be of one Congregation is required by Reason as well as Scripture 1. For their more commodious meeting together in publick with ease frequency less expence of time and money 2. Their more easie conversing with watching over comforting and relieving one another 3. For the preventing of confusion contention and offence 4. For the more convenient inspection over their Families that their Families as well as themselves do sanctifie the Sabbath and therefore if the Magistrate do command that Churches should have such and such convenient bounds his command is to be observed being according to Scripture and right Reason Secondly These Christians thus cohabiting are to chuse or to submit unto and maintain the same individual Church-Officers frequent the same numerical Sacraments and other Ordinances and so are easily enough distinguished from those Churches the members whereof dwell elsewhere and submit to other Officers and frequent other meeting places for Sacraments and other Ordinances Paul and Barnabas assembling themselves a whole year with the Church at Antioch are said to be within that Church d Acts 11 26 with 13 1 And this was the primitive way When many Christians were converted in a Town or City the Apostles ordeined them Elders e Acts 14 23 and the Elders and Christian inhabitants mutually performing
she should advise nor in what cases neighbor Churches may call an offending Church to account or how oft they must do it nor when they may lawfully non-communion a Sister-Church nor doth the Scripture limit the number of Elders as three four five six c. which each Congregation must have and neither more no less nor doth it bound a Congregational Church saying it must consist of one hundred two or three hundred five or six hundred or a thousand two three or more thousands nor that the bounds of the habitation of its members should be two three four ten twenty miles but these things are left to prudence according to the general rules of the Word 4. How much the greater distance there is between Churches so much the less needs the visible communion thereof to be because danger of scandal and infection and opportunity of mutual edification is less or more according as the distance of place is greater or less and this occasions and justifies the more strict ordinary visible Ecclesiastical Communion of the Congregations within a Classis then within a Province within a Nation then in all the World 5. God requires no further association then he gives opportunity to as in case a particular person have not opportunity of joyning to any Congregation or a particular Congregation have no neighbors to associate with that is supream Ecclesiastical Authority to us which is the highest we can get pro hic et nunc if God by his providence shut the door of higher Appeals that we cannot ascend above a National or a Provincial Assembly or above a particular Church and this is true also in some necessary cases that supream civil power may be exercised in one Assembly yea in one Family the same thing may be said of the Jewish Synagogues in Heathen Countries that they were independent when they could not have the benefit of superior judicatories though they were nothing so in Indea where they might have that benefit 6. In the Jewish Church were several distinct Presbyteries or Conventions of Elders subordinate one to another and as the word Presbytery is translated to the Christian Church x 1 Tim. 4 14. so that subordination of Presbyteries was not ceremonial nor typical nor a temple-ordinance but grounded on Reason and the light of nature as appears by Jethro's advice to Moses y Exod. 18 21 22 23 c. and by the consent of all Nations warrantably moulding civil Government in such a subordination and God hath not commanded men to lay aside their reason nor hath he prohibited such subordination but commanded it rather Mat. 18. For. 1. Christ speaks of a Church then extant which could be no other then the Jewish Church no Christian Church being then founded with subordinate Judicatories appeals and therefore must needs be understood by tell the Church to command appeals from the Synagogue to the Sanhedrim while the Jewish Church and the Government thereof stood undissolved 2. There is no appearance in the words there or elsewhere that Christ appointed that the Christian Churches Government should be moulded after another manner then the Jewish in matters of moral Equity 3. Subordination of a particular person offending to a particular Church doth by a like reason prove the subordination of a Church to greater Assemblies because the grounds reasons and ends of subordination are the same in both 4. The Elders and Governors are in Scripture frequently called by the name of Rahal and by the Septuagint Ecclesia or Church a Deut. 31 30. with 28 Lev. 4. 14. with 15. 2 Chron. 1 2. with 3. Deut. 23. 1 2 3 8. and sometimes the word Rahal or Church is translated by the 70. the Synedrion b Prov. 26 26. and therefore the Apostles might well understand our Saviour by Church to mean the Elders and not the whole Congregation especially he speaking of judicial proceedings when the Elders came alone to the Church-meeting then but one trumpet sounded but if both trumpets sounded then both Elders and people met together in one Assembly c Num. 10 2 4. They that interpret the word Church of Elders and brethren of a particular Congregation are desired to shew where Elders and Brethren without women and children are called a Church 7. If there be an universal visible Church and Apostles Teachers Governments d 1 Cor. 12 28. be seated primarily in it and the whole is not subject to a part but the part to the whole then the neerer any Assembly of Churches combined comes to the universal visible Church the more authority it is invested withall and a general Councel is of more authority then a national and a national then a provincial Quest 19. It is granted that the Scripture doth warrant elective occasional Synods such as that was Acts 15. but doth it mention or warrant set stated Synodical Assemblies to meet monethly or yearly Answ This is but a circumstance of time which followeth necessarily the substance of the things if Synods sit they must sit in some time but what time or times they should sit doth depend upon circumstances and as the Church business requireth the Scripture mentions not any stated Ecclesiastical meeting for Government Synodical or Congregational that they should meet weekly monethly c. nor any set Church-meetings except the Lords day for preaching hearing fasting prayer thanksgiving conference yet the Church may upon occasion order weekly or monthly Congregational meetings according to the general Rules of Gods Word the same may be said of Synodical Assemblies 2. There is no such material difference between standing Synods and occasional neither in point of lawfulness nor power both for ought we know may be of like divine authority Triennial standing Parliaments may be as lawful and authoritative as occasional Parliaments 3. There may be standing Courts at Westminster though differences and suits in Law be occasional and a standing Colledg of Physitians though diseases be occasional 2. As to electiveness 1. It is contrary to Reason and Scripture that an erroneous and offending Congregation shall choose their own Judges seeing it is probable they will either choose none at all or such as they know before hand are likely to be of their Judgment 2. If those that are in the right should choose the Synod yet still the question will be who are in the right for of dissenting parties both pretend to it and neither will confess they are in the wrong 3. It a thing is agreed on that all the Churches in a Province being offended at a Particular Congregation may call that single Congregation to account yea all the Churches in a Nation may call one or more Congregations to account that they may convent and call before them any person within their bounds whom the Ecclesiastical business before them doth concern may examine admonish and in case of obstinacy declare them to be subverters of the faith may give advice to the Magistrate in matters