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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	church_n	faith_n	profess_v	3,565	5	8.8932	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31449	Vindiciae vindiciarum, or, A further manifestation of M.J.C., his contradictions instanced in Vindiciae clavium being a rejoinder to his reply (to some few of those many contradictions) in his last book called, The way of Congregationall churches cleared, part 2 / by D.C.	Cawdrey, Daniel, 1588-1664.	1651 (1651)	Wing C1641; ESTC R23919	36,878	62

of others And I can sincerely professe I consulted with none or very few books of this controversie but comparing your books one with another my own reason and judgement suggested to me those contradictions in them that left me altogether unsatisfied in your way and at this day I am left so still if not more confirmed that the Independent way is not the way of God that is so inconsistent with the Scriptures and with it self That others have more elaborately disputed this cause I shall easily yeeld but I think I may truly say without vanity none have more distinctly discovered the weaknesses of your proofs and your contradictions to your selves in holding out your Way then I have done Nor am I at all troubled that you chuse rather to consider what hath been written by Learned and Reverend M. Rutherford and M. Baily though you sere M. Baily as you doe me never name him more in all your following discourse had you but made good your promises to consider also what I had said to vindicate your self from your contradictions and to clear the truth in question But seeing you are pleased so to neglect me I hope you will not be troubled if I conceive it losse of time and labour to follow you any further and consider what Learned and Reverend M. Hooker hath elaborately written in this controversie Only give me leave to present you with a Scheme of your remaining contradictions or contrarieties at least noted in Vind. Clav. out of your own books and then leave you to your choise whether you will reconcile them or confesse them A Scheme of Contradictions and Contrarieties in the Independent way 1. THe Keys were given to Peter as an Apostle as an Elder and as a beleever So the sense most fill The Keys pag. 4. It appears that Christ gave the Keys to the fraternity with the Presbytery Ib. See also the Way cleared par 2. pag. 22. 1. The power of the Keys is given to Peter not as an Apostle nor as as Elder but as a profest believer The way pag. 27. 1. Peter received no● the Keys meerly as a beleever but as a beleeve publikely professing hi● faith c. The Way cleared par 2. f. 39. Not beleevers as beleevers but as beleevers covenanting and fitly capable according to Christ appointment M. Hooker Surv. par 1. p. 203. 2. The Keys are given to the Church of beleevers The Way p. 1. that is a combination of faithful men as M. Hooker 2. The Key of knowledge belongeth to all the faithfull whether joyned to any particular Church or no. The Keys pag. 11. 2. The Key of Knowledge is given not only to the Church but to some before they ente● into the Church Th● Keyes p. 11. 3. The Key of order is common to all the members of the Church Keys p. 8. Then say we to women and children 3. It is not every place or order in the Church that giveth power to receive Ordinances much lesse to dispense them as children and women Way cleared par 2. pag. 19.   4. Ordination is a work of Rule The way p. 49. Ordination and jurisdiction both acts of Rule pertain indifferently to all the Presbysers Ib. 49. 4. As for election and Ordination of Officers c. these things they the brethren may doe if need be without Officers The way p. 45. 101. 4. Ordination is not an Act of supream jurisdidiction but of order rather in H. Survey part 2.75 5. The Key of authority or Rule is committed to the Elders of the Church and so the Act of Rule is the proper Act of their Office The Keys p. 20. The people discerning and approving the justice of the censure give consent and obedience to the Will and Rule of Christ The Keys pag. 15. 37. 41. The brethren stand in an order even an orderly subjection according to the order of the Gospel p. 11. 5. In case the Officers do erre and commit offence they shall be governed by the whole body of the brethren The Way pag. 100. The Church exerciseth severall acts of authority over the Elders The way p. 101. The people have some stock of power and Authority in government of the Church the Keys pag. 36. They rule the Church by appointing their own Officers Ib. p. 16.   6. Excommunication is one of the highest Acts of Rule and therefore cannot be performed but by some Rulers the Keys p. 16. The Church cannot excommunicate the whole presbytery because they have not received from Christ an office of Rule without their Officers Ibid. No act of the peoples power doth properly binde unlesse the authority of the Presbytery joyn with it Ibid. 36. 6. If all their Officers were sound culpable either in hereticall doctrine or scandalous crime the Church hath lawful Authority to proceed to censure of them all The Way p. 45. In case of offence given by an Elder or whole Eldership together the Church hath authority to require satisfaction and if they give it not to proceed to censure Ibid. p. 101. 6. Excommunication is not an act of power of office but of judgement nor an act of highest rule but of supream judgement seated in the fraternity Survey par 3. p. 45. As a Church of brethren cannot proceed to any publike censures without Elders so nor the Elders without concurrence of the people c. Pref. to the Keys pag. 4. 7. It was a sacrilegious breach of order that Commissaries and Chancellors wanting the key of Order no Ministers have been invested with jurisdiction yea and more then ministerial authority above those Elders who labour in the word and doctrine The Keys p 6. 7. There is a Key of power given to the Church with the Elders as to open a door of entrance to the Ministers calling so to shut the door of entrance against them in some cases c. The Keys pag. 9. yea to censure all their Elders without Elders the way p. 45. c. as afore   8. We are far from allowing that sacrilegious usurpation of the Ministers office practised in some places that private Christians ordinarily take upon them to preach the Gospel publikely The Keys pag. 6. 8. This is ordinarily practised in old England and allowed by the Independent brethren Yea they being but in the notion of gifted brethren no Ministers to other Congregations do it ordinarily themselves   9. A particular Church of Saints professing the faith that is members without Officers is the first subject of all the Church Offices with all their spirituall gifts and power The Keys p. 31. 9. As the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven be divers so are the subjects to whom they are committed divers The Keys p. 11. The Apostle were the first subject of Apostolical power Ib. p. 32. A Synod is the first subject of that power whereby error is convinced and condemned c. ib. p. 47. 9. The power of the Keys belongs firstly to a Congregation of Covenanting beleevers Surv.

it immediatly from Christ I desire you would consider whom M. Hooker meant in those words That conceit is more wide from the mark c. pag 195. sect 2. It is strange that all this while you should agree no better Obj. 7 I said lastly The Church there meant is called the Kingdom of heaven but a particular Congregation of beleevers is never called so being but a member of it c. You answer It is not materiall whether it be called so or no it is enough it is called a Church yea as distinguished from Church-Officers Acts 25.22 Suprà pag. 7. 23. c. I gave the sense and rosolution of that Text afore The sum is this it doth not hold a Church of beleevers as existing without Officers for that Church had Officers but only distinguisheth the Integrall parts as your self call them above of that Church into Officers and members The Apostles Elders and whole Church ver 22. that is the brethren or beleevers ver 23. assembled together ver 25. which is no more then if he had said the whole Church consisting of Apostles Elders and Brethren But you must remember that you are disputing the power of the Keyes to be given to a Church beleevers without Officers and you bring an instance of a Church that had Officers Shew if you can a Church of beleevers existing without Officers which took upon them the name of a Church or the tide of the Kingdom of heaven I yet beleeve whereever the Church is called the Kingdom of heaven in Scripture it is meant of the whole Church not of any particular Congregation Your own Texts produced do hold out as much Mat. 20.1 It is called a vineyard which signifies either the state of the Gospel or the whole visible Church If he had meant it of particular Churches he would have rather said into his vineyards for all those Officers could not be hired for one particular Church You say It was into this or that particular Church respectively true with respect to the whole visible Church which is but one A man that hath a large vineyard hires servants to work in several places or parts of that vineyard but this or that part is not called a vineyard but with respect to the whole they are all hired to labour in his vineyard Or what if that Parable be rather understood of particular persons then particular Congregations God cals all Christians into his Church and sets them to work Some come in at one hour some at another they that come first think they deserve more then they that come in late at the eleventh hour Christ would intimate that God is free and his grace free to do what he will with his own and there is no merit at all Many are called but few are chosen But your Exposition restrains the parable only to Officers as distinct from the Church of beleevers The like my be said of your second Text Mat. 25.1 2. It is not meant as an a description of the estate of each particular Church as you strain rather then interpret it but of every particular professing Christian whereof some have lamps of profession but no oyl of true grace others have both And the scope of the parable is intimated in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or application ver 23. Watch ye therefore every one of you for you know not the day nor hour when the Son of man cometh Your next of Luk. 17.21 is wider from the mark The Kingdom of God is within you that is either the Messias whom you seek as absent is now among you as Beza or the power of the Gospel is within you or upon you Those other of Rev. 1.6 and 1 Pet. 2.9 are as much mistaken if applied to a particular Congregation All the faithfull are Kings and Priests and all together are a Kingdom of Priests both Officers and beleevers I suppose you will not apply this either only to the Officers or only to beleevers but to both singly and jointly and respectively to the whole Church To conclude this whole first Section I added a particular Congregation is but a member or Corporation of that kingdom and it were as improper to call a Congregation Christs kingdom as to call London the kingdom of England You answer Every similar part of a similar body doth properly partake both in the name and nature of the whole Every part of water is water c. and such a part of such a body is a particular visible Church But such is not the state of London c. You said a little above It was not in your minde to understand any other particular Congregation but one furnished with Officers But then if you will speak properly and strictly you cannot say that a particular Congregation of Officers and beleevers is a similar part of a similar body for it is a d●ssimilar body consisting of dissimilar parts and so London and it agree in state and that Church can no more properly be called the Kingdom of heaven then London the kingdom of England Again if you will to help your self out of this Labyrinth understand it of a particuar Church without Officers you fall into another gulf as bad as the former For if particular Congregations consisting of similar parts of beleevers only may be called Kingdoms as they are called Churches then it will fairly follow that every particular member of that similar body may be called not only a Church but a Kingdom too because every similar part of a similar body it is your own reason doth properly partake in the Name and Nature of the whole So then as every drop of water is water so every member of such a Church is a Church and of such a Kingdom is a Kingdom Your following of metaphors and Parables too far is guilty of these miscarriages as I elsewhere often shew where I also shew how a particular Church consisting of Officers and beleevers may in a candid sense be said to be a similar body to which I referre you SECT II. What the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are IF in opening what the Keys of the kingdom of heaven be it was not your intent to enumerate them all distinctly and particularly as you here say Surely you intended not the businesse you had in hand when you were purposely engaged to answer this Question What are the Keyes of this Kingdom would not any Reader expect from an Expositor of that text a full and perfect enumeration of the Keys what and how many they are Had you said only thus The Keys are the Ordinances which Christ hath instituted to be administred in his Church You might afterwards have referred them as you say to their severall subjects But when you adde As the preaching of the Word as also the administration of the Seals and Censures Would not any Reader take it for a full distribution of the Keys And when you adde By the opening and applying of these both

part 1. pag. 219. The power of the Keys is in the Church of beleevers as in the first subject Ib. p. 195. That con●●●● is wide to make one first subject of this power and yet others to share in this power not by means of that for this is to speak daggers and contradictions Ibid. 10. Pastor and flock are Relates and so he is a Pastor to none but his own Congregation This is the common Tenet 10. The members of any Church we admit to the Lords Table if they bring Letters Testimoniall and their children to Baptism The Way p. 68. The Keys 17. 10. Administration of Sacraments is a Ministeriall act and what authority hath a Pastor to doe it or they to receive it from him to whom he is no Pastor M. H. Survey part 2.64 65. Pastors and Teachers might pray and preach in other Churches beside their own but not administer Seals and censures Bartlets modell p. 63. 11. We receive the Sacrament of the Lords supper say the same of Baptism as a Seal of communion not only with the Lord Jesus in our own Churches but in all Churches of the Saints The Keys p. 17. See Def. of 9. pos p. 133 134. 11. Baptism and so the other Sacrament seals up the externall communion with a particular Church c. M. H. Survey par 3. pag. 27. and he disputes against it is to the Catholike Church   12. It is an act of the Elders power and authority to examine whether Officers or members before they be received of the Church The Keys pag. 21. 12. As for admission election ordination of officers admission and shutting out of members these things the brethren may do without Officers The Way 45. 101.   13. Ordination is then compleat when the people have chosen him and the Presbytery hath laid their hands on him The Keys p. 37. 13. But if the Church want a Presbytery for want of Elders they want a warrant to repair to the Presbytery of another Church to impose hands upon their elect Elders The Way pag. 50.   14. Paul and Barnabas were ordained to that office of Apostleship by the Imposition of hands of some Officers or members of the Church The Way p. 45. 14. In Act. 13.2 3. There is no Ordination to office at all for the Apostles had their office before M. H. Survey part 2. p. 83. This was not to put a new office upon them but to confirm their sending to the Gentiles Ib. p. 60. 14. This was done in a particular Church The Keys p. 29. The Officers of one Church did what as done in an ordinary way Surv. par 2. 83. Then it follows by M. C. his doctrine that the Apostles who were Officers of all Churches were ordained in a particular Church or that Officers of one Church may be ordained in another Church which he said was unwarrantable The Way p. 50. 15. What if the whole Presbytery offend The readiest course is to bring the matter to a Synod The Keys p. 43. 15. There is a readier and nearer way The brethren may censure them all The Way p. 45. If the Congregation be found faithfull and willing to remove an offence by due censure why should the offence be called up to more publike judicature c. Keys p. 42.   16. It belongs to the civill Magistrate to establish pure Religion in doctrine worship and government partly by civil punishments upon the wilful opposers and disturbers of the same The Keys p. 50. 16. Yet the Brethren here call for or tolerate toleration of all opinions and deny the Magistrate power to punish any pretending conscience Bartlets Modell 128. 16. See M. Bartl Modell p. 25. contra 17. Visible Saints though they be hypocrites inwardly are the matter of a visible Church M. H. Sur. par 1. p. 14 15. 17. You say Saints in outward profession is the matter of a Congregational Church We judge that reall Saints uttering in discourse the breathings of the holy Spirit and experiences of conversion witnessed in a stricter conversation to be the matter D. Holmes Ep. to Way cleared p. 4 17. M. Bartlet speaks something this language Can there ba ability for spirituall and holy services where the spirit is not yet given Can there be communion between light and darknesse can they edifie one another in the faith that have not yet the work of faith wrought in them Mod. p. 57. See more p. 103. 18. The forme of the visible Church is the Covenant either explicit or implicit and the latter is sometimes fully sufficient M. H. Sur. par 1. pag. 47 48. and others 18. You say an implicit uniting viz. a walking and communicating with you is a sufficient evidencing of the Form we say their solemn confession of their faith and expresse open covenanting with the Lord to walk with such a body of Saints in all the waies of Christ c. to be the manifest form D. Holm Ib. 18. It is not generall profession will serve the turn but there must be a peculiar engagement and appropriation to this or that particular body M. H. Sur. p. 63. yet he said an implicit covenant was sufficient 19. We crave leave of the Reverend Author of the Keys to declare that we assent not to all expressions or all and every assertion in it As in these particulars 1. About prophecying by gifted brethren 2. That the Assembly Act. 15. was a formal Synod 3. That the Apostles acted in it as ordinary Elders Praef. to the Keys p. 6. 19. We do in this Epistle certifie our assent unto the way of the Churches in new-New-England saving that we do not yet fully close with some expressions in the book before some of which ten at least belike there are more we minded to note a star in the Margent This we could not but say and do pace tanti Authoris or we could not assent Ep. to the Way p. 2. f. 19. Yet they are angry we call for a fuller Declaration of themselves Ep. to the Way p. 1. and Ep. to Way cleared p. 2. 20. It is generally asserted by them that one Church hath not power to censure another 20. A Synod hath power to determine to withdraw communion from them if they cannot heal them The Keys p. 25. 20. A sentence of Non-communion denounced against whole Churches Apol. Nar. p. 18 19. If a sentence denounced it is a censure 21. We say Instituted priviledges and ordinances doe not immediatly flow from spiritual union and relation to Christ and his members c. Def. or 9. portions p. 76. He must come at them in a right order i. e. the party must be a member pf a particular Congregation Surv. par 2. p. 65. 21. Then it follows that Hearing the Word preached Singing of Psalms and Baptism belong not to any but to such as are members of a particular Congregation And yet they say ordinary hearing is no sign of a Church-member Sur. par 1. p. 18. 21. A person hath his first right to a Sacrament and so to other Ordinances because he hath an interest in the Covenant of the Gospel Survey par 2. 65.