trust Act 17. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures dayly whither those things were so They would not take the Apostles Doctrine on trust and this is a command given by Paul writing to the Thess 1 Epistle ch 5. v. 21. Prove all things after he had said despise not Prophecyings So that Doctrines should be brought to a Tryal whatever be their fair pretences Reas The Reasons are first because foulest Errors may be coloured over with fairest pretences And Secondly the Scripture sayes all men are Lyars that is to say all men may Err and therefore words cannot be the Ground of Divine Faith for Faith must have an infallible ground as Ephes 2. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets c. i. e. the word Preached by them and dictated by the Spirit of God Vse This Doctrine reproves first the Papists that will have nothing Tryed that comes from the Church but all taken upon trust hence is it that many swallow such Monsters of Absurdities as the Errors of Transubstantiation Purgatory Merite Mals and such like for which they have no other ground but because their Church sayes so But this Doctrine holdeth out another duty that who ever heareth any Doctrine proponed by one or other they are bound to pass their Judgment on it Try the Spirits Now that we may walk betwixt extreams the Papists on the one hand who set up Tyranny and these Sectaries on the other hand who set up Confusion we would know there is a twofold Judgement to be passed on Doctrine Publick Judgement and Private Judgement Publick Judgement again is either peremptorily absolute or limited A publick peremptory Judgement is That which binds the Conscience to obey simply that which is spoken and none have this Judgement but God himself Secondly There is a publick Judgement which is limited and this is a publick declaring and holding out that which is found to be God's mind in his word which does not bind absolutely but in so far as it agrees with the Word and this Judgement belongs to publick Church Judicatories met together in Christs Name They are like the Lyon-Herauld set forth to proclaim the Royal Acts if he proclaim that which is contained in the principal Acts it binds but if he add any thing of his own it binds not Next there is a private Judgement of Discretion and this belongs to every Christian every man in relation to his own practice is bound to pass Sentence on what is held out to him by others that if it be right he may embrace it but if wrong he may reject it but his private Judgement is not binding to others Now this private Judgement or this Judgement of Discretion is necessary because all men may Err Councils may Err Synods c. And Secondly Their Error will not excuse private Christians to follow them in their Error sayes Christ When the Blind leads the Blind both falls into the Ditch And therefore there must be a Judgement of Discretion in private persons to try what they hear And this much for guarding against the Popish Tyranny but least this Doctrine be abused to cast at all publick Church Judicatories we shall next speak somewhat to guard against Sectarian Confusion First Although publick Church Judicatories have not Power to bind Consciences yet when men are in a doubt concerning a point of Truth their Judgement ought to have more weight than the Judgement of private Men And that not only because there are more Gifts exercised together but mainly because there is a promise annexed to the Commission given by Christ to publick Church Judicatories Matth. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them And Secondly From this it followes that there would be a kind of loathness to differ from publick Church Judicatories a man's grounds would be well examined lâ—st if differing from these Judicatories they also differ from Truth And Thirdly when they differ they are to bear them at Reverence although in such a point they should Err yet for their Authority they are to be Reverenced This much is granted by us to Church Judicatories but no further They are not to be made the Rule of our Faith Vse 2. It reproves those who are Lazie and cannot endure the trouble of trying what they hear but take things on trust and have no more but such a mans Authority he is of that Way and Opinion and therefore they are Fire and Flint Tooth and Nail for it as much as if they had the Word of God for it We have seen much of this in the unhappy Differences that have fallen out in our time which I have no pleasure to speak much of and therefore we proceed to another Doctrine Doct. X. The next thing then that we observe is from what he sayes Try c. whether they be of God that is the Tryal The Doctrine is this That the right tryal of Doctrine is To try whether they be of God or not and this point puts us to give Marks whereby it shall be known what Doctrine is of God and what Doctrine is not of God and here we shall speak to two things First We shall show what are the marks that necessarly infer a Doctrine to be of God And secondly we shall speak of other things that do not infer necessarly a Doctrine to be of God but for the most part follow upon such a Doctrine For the First That which makes Doctrine necessarily to be of God is if it be according to the rule of the Word So when the Bereans are commended Acts 17. The rule they went by in the tryal of Paul's Doctrine is the Scripture And this is Isaâ—a's rule chap. 8. ver 20. To the Law and to the Testimony c. He would have all Doctrines tryed by the Word of God So the Word is the rule and that Doctrine which has the Word for it is of God and whatever Doctrine has not the Word for it is not of God All Spirits even the Spirit of God himself must be tryed that way And that because the Word is a perfect rule I give only two places of Scripture to clear the perfection of this rule First The heavy Plagues pronounced against those who add to this rule The Word is so perfect that if an Angel should come and pretend a purer Rule Let him be sayes Paul Anathema Gal. 1. 8. There is another place which proves the perfection of this rule according to this point in hand 2 Timoth. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for Instruction in righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect c. So there is as much in the word of God as may make the man of God perfect And this in relation
find in Act 15. 4. and Act 21. 15 18. And when they were come to Jerusalem they were received of the Church and of the Apostles and Elders c. Now they are not called the Elders of a particular flock at Jerusalem but the Elders of the Church and therefore did meet in one Common Judicatory The force of this Argument cannot be spoken against by our Opposits who prove their particular Elderships from the same ground as in Act 20. 28. mentioning of the Elders of the Church of Ephesus From whence they Reason thus Ephesus was a particular Congregation we read there were Elders in this Church therefore there was an Eldership who met together for Governing that Church in common They must give us liberty to Reason that same way thus We find at Jerusalem was a Church made up of many particular Churches we find Elders in this Church Therefore there was an Eldership who met together for Governing of this Church or these Churches in common But Thirdly to make this Argument yet stronger not only there are Elders in this Church but we find they meet together for Acts of Jurisdiction belonging to the whole Church in Common For proof of this see Act 11 30. The contribution that is gathered for supply of the Saints is sent to the Elders Now what the Elders should do with it may be gathered from a place like it Act 4. 35. 37. where it is said They sold their possessions and laid down the price at the Apostles feet And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need So doubtless the contribution was given to the Elders for this end that they might have distributed the same to the poor in the whole Church And so it was an Act of Government tending to the good of the Church Further we find this more clear Act 21. 18. They meet together and Judicially set down a way to Paul for removing of a Church Scandal by satisfying the offended and purifying himself after the manner of the Jews In v 23. Do therefore this c. So we see their Elderships meeting together for removing a Scandal We find a Third place to confirm this Act. 15. 2. 4 We shall afterward make use of the whole Chapter to prove the power of Synods only this much at present to the purpose in hand We find the Elders met and make binding Acts to the Churches under them So we have made out the first point That there is a Government of many Congregations under one Presbytry holden out in the Word The main thing our Opposits flee to at the last is this That granting it to be true That there were many Congregations in Jerusalem before the Persecution in Act 8. And that they had one Government above them yet that doth not infer a Government by Presbytry For they were Governed by the Apostles We read not of any Elders in that Church before the Dispersion at which time they were brought to so few a number that they might all meet in one place So that though there was one common Government then by Elders It inferrs not a Presbytry but a Congregational Eldership only This is the sum of all that is said to this For Answer They grant to us That after the Persecution there was a common Eldership over the Church of Jerusalem And Secondly We have proved that there were moe Congregations than One there even after the Dispersion And we have also proved that they had Elders over them in common so that whatever was before the Dispersion yet even from their own concession it followeth That there was a Presbyterial Government in Jerusalem after the Dispersion Secondly we answer They can hardly prove that there were no Elders in Jerusalem before the Dispersion It s true we read not of Elders until Act. 11. But when they were first instituted we read not Thirdly We answer That though there were not Elders to govern them in common yet it is enough for us that the Apostles did govern them in common for they were also Elders So they call themselves 2 John ver 1. 1 Peter 5. 1. But Secondly As they were Elders so what they did in these Acts of Government they did it as Elders For what they did as Apostles is not imitable now but what they did in Governing the Church is imitable such as Ordaining of Officers Distributing of Alms. Again What they did as Apostles one of them might do it alone But here they do it in Collegio Act. 6. And reserve the Peoples part of Election to them Now they never met together to write Scripture nor sought the Peoples concurrence for any Act meerly Apostolick so it is clear the Church was governed by them as Elders And so the Churches even then were under one common Eldership And this now for the first thing we promised to make out to wit That the Scripture holdeth out a pattern of the Government of many Congregations by one common Presbytery ¶ II. There is a Plat-form of Government by Synods over many particular Presbyteries holden forth in Scripture THe Second thing we promised to make out is this That as the Scripture holdeth forth the Power of Presbyteries so also the Power of a Synod by which we mean Church Judicatories above Presbyteries as they are above Sessions or Congregational Elderships I. For understanding the Question These Synods or greater Meetings of Church Officers are of three sorts Some made up of several Presbyteries and these are Provincial Synods such as commonly we have twice a year Or they are made up of several Synods within a Nation and these are General Assemblies Or Thirdly They are made up of several Churches of several Nations or Commissioners from them and these are called Universal Councils or General Synods of the Christian World Now all these differ from Presbyteries not only in this That they are more ample but also in this That the Government by Presbyteries is the common ordinary way of Government held out in Scripture But Synods for the most part are more rare and upon particular emergent as Act. 15. That Synod was called upon an occasion of Division in the Church of Antioch which troubled other Churches about Secondly All these kinds of greater Synods The Provincial Synod and the Synod of a Nation and the Universal Councils do not differ in Nature and kind but only in less and more Wherefore it is not needful that we hold out every one of them from Scripture It is sufficient that we hold out the Power of Synods in the general which is to be applyed to every kind in particular For so we find it in Scripture in other things Particulars are infinite and therefore in things of one and the same kind General Rules are sufficient Or a Rule for one particular which keeping the just proportion is to be applyed to other particulars of the same kind As Matth 18. Christ sets down the way of walking in private Scandals speaking
There is an Union in Judgement when there is no considerable Difference among the Members of the Church in the matter of Opinion When all Think the same thing And this is here pressed Be prefectly joined in one Judgement 2. There is an Union in Heart and Affections spoken of Act. 4. 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul And this Union is also here pressed Be perfectly join'd together in the same Mind or in Love and Affection as we shew'd in the opening up of the Words 3. There is an Union in Practice and that is when whatever Difference there is in Judgement yet it 's not openly proclaim'd Publick Contradictions and Eristick Debates are eschewed and an unanimous joint practice in these things wherein there is Agreement is followed And this Union is also pressed in the Text I beseech you that ye all speak the same thing So it 's clear the Text means all these three sorts of Union the Doctrine intends them All and as might be made evident other Scriptures press them All. Only this we would know the Order wherein they are pressed to wit So as every Breach in the Former is not to make a Breach in the Latter Every Difference in Judgement is not to make a Rent in Heart or Affection Nor tho a Rent be in both doth it infer necessarly a Divided Practice at least in these things wherein there is Agreement And for that the Scripture is clear especially Philipp 3. 15 16 where v. 15 the Apostle supposeth difference of Judgement among the Philippians as to the point he is there speaking of and subjoineth for matter of Practice v. 16. Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule That is to say Tho we cannot agree in all things yet let us eschew the prolaiming of Our Differences by Our contrary Practices This much for the first thing to wit What Union the Doctrine presseth It is an Union necessary to the Well-being of the Visible Church particularly an Union in Judgement an Union in Affection an Union in Practice An Union all these wayes is to be sought for and laboured after yet so as if we cannot attain to Union in the Former we are yet still to endeavour it in the Latter For Confirmation of this Truth we might cite several Scriptures 1. These wherein this Union is promised to the Church and that as a rich Covenant Blessing such as Jer. 32. 39. I will give them one Heart and one way that they may fear Me for ever The like is in Ezek. 37. 22. 2. These Scriptures wherein this Vnion is highly commended Especially Ps. 133. 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity and so through the whole 3. These Scriptures which hold out the Mediator's Prayer to the Father for this Union Joh. 17. 21. That they all may be one as Thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in Vs and so v. 23. 4. Those Scriptures where this Union is expresly enjoyned and pressed whereof there are many Such as Philipp 2. 1 2 3. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies Fulfil ye My Joy that ye be like minded having the same Love being of one accord of one mind And 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be of one mind live in peace And lastly these Scriptures where Division contrary to Unity is condemned as Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences and avoid them But for further Confirmation of this Truth we shall in the next place bring foreward some Reasons concluding the equity and necessity of seeking after and entertaining of Unity in the Church which shall also serve as motives to the Duty Reason 1. Union furthers Edification So Eph. 4. 3. Union is pressed And One Fruit among many to be reaped hereby is v. 12. the edifying of the Body of Christ. And as Unity furthers Edification so Division marreth it Divisions in a Church tho about small things yet if stiffly mantain'd prove a great stumbling Block to the Weak they are put to doubt all Truths because Men gracious and learned doubt of some So Division not only marreth progress in the building but striketh at the very foundation of what is already built Reas. 2. Divisions in a Church make the Ministers contemptible Of all Men Ministers suffer most this way because usually they are most active in beginning and upholding the Division and usually even these who have Truth for them suffer much if not most this way Paul tho an Apostle and a Man for Truth yet he lost much of the former esteem he had amongst the Corinthians though once they would have pluck'd out their Eyes for him yet through the Division their Distemper grew to such an hight that he was look'd on as Contemptible rude in speech yea A Fool and what not as appears from 2 Cor 10. 10. Ch. 11. 6 16. Reas. 3. The Essential Unity of the Church and the many things wherein a Church agreeth that way should enforce this Union The Apostle Paul Eph. 4. draweth a strong Argument for Unity and Peace in the Church from this Ground The Duty is propounded v. 3. Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And v. 4 5 6. it is pressed by this Argument There is on Body and one Spirit One Lord one Faith one Baptism One God and Father of all Here are many Ones together in two or three lines as if he had said What a shame is it for you who are so many wayes One to rent in pieces for a thing of so small moment Reas. 4. Divisions in a Church turn away every Man's Eye from his main Task I mean from the joint opposing of Satan's main Design to be wrangling one with another It 's Satans Policy when he intends to bear down Truth in a Church to set those who should oppose him most by the Ears about smaller things that so he may carry his point with less difficulty herein making use of Matchiavils or rather his own Principle divide impera Divide and Carry It 's often seen that the nearer those who differ come to one another they drive on their point against others with the greater Animosity and Eagerness the Jews and Samaritans were at greater variance than Jews and Heathens And the Reason is this The less the Difference is they have the more hopes to bring others to their mind hence their mutual On-setts are more furious and their Disappointments the more bitter the higher they were in their hopes and in the mean time while they mind nothing so much as to bear down one another Satan cometh good speed in bearing down of Truth and Them and All. Reas. 5. Union when once lost in a Church is hardly ever
had been converted and indued with saving Grace neither doth Grace here signify Gods Grace inherent in them but Gods Grace and free Favour which he saw in the effects of it in that it wrought so Powerfully in bringing a great many to embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel among whom there doubtless were many sincere and real Converts though all of them were not so However the thing he saw was The mighty progress and success of the Gospel and this occasioned by a strong and cruel Persecution mentioned verse 19 the Ministers are forced to flee from their Flocks wherever they go they Preach Gods Grace and mighty Hand accompanies their Labour to the Conversion of many thousand Souls this is the Grace which Barnabas saw Hence take this Doctrine That sadest Persecutions for Truth do frequently prove an occasion of the Gospels spreading Thus it was Act 8. 3. Saul made havock of the Church entring into every House and haling Men and Women committed them to Prison v. 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where Preaching the Word Even as far as Phâ—nice Cyprus and Antioch as it is ver 19 of this Chapter The making havock of the Church occasioned the enlargement of the Church which hath frequently fallen out since which gave ground to that true and ancient saying The Blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church The Reasons why the Work and Grace of God thrives best at such times may be many As 1. Peoples Ears are then bored and readiest to drink in the Word with greediness because then they have little other comfort left them Affliction and Persecution is a Tasty Sawce to make the Word Relish Psal. 141. v. 6. When their Judges are overthrown in stony places they shall hear my words for they are sweet 2. At such times the Servants of Christ are more diligent in their Work as they can have access to it and more fervent in dealing with God by Prayer for a Blessing to their Work because the thriving of their Work is all the reward which they can then expect And 3. The Lord doth then usually countenance the Labours of his Servants most because they are most despised few do then care for them or takes any notice of them And therefore the Lord takes this way both to hearten them and to put respect upon them And 4. The Couragious Constant and Cheerful enduring of Hardships and Sufferings for Truth doth commend that Truth for which they suffer unto others even to indifferent Spectators and makes them enquire after it and desirous to know what so much worth there can be in it I shall not insist for Application hasting forward to the latter part of the Text Only if it be so Then People are not to lookupon Persecution and a suffering time for Truth whenever it comes as so sad so dismal and dreadful a thing For this at least may be expected to be lovely in it The same Truth which men labour to bear down shall spread the faster and the further And that this is so the following Doctrine will shew Another Doctrine ariseth from the first effect this sight did work on Barnabas It made him Glad for so saith the Text Who when he came and had seen the Grace of God was glad The Doctrine is this That the Gospel and Truth do spread and gain ground among People is matter of Joy and gladness to a Godly heart though the times were otherwise never so sad For there were many things to make Barnabas sad at this time If we consider 1. How they had stoned the first Martyr Stephen to death a man full of the Holy Ghost and used him so as if he had been the most notorious Malefactor that ever the Earth carried And 2. The prosperous state of the Churches Enemies the Scribes Pharisees High-Priests a company of degenerate corrupt Church-men who at that time did sit at Jerusalem guiding all things at their pleasure That if any did but mutter against their State and Dignity though in the furthest part of all the Realm their hand could easily reach them They needed no more but hound out a Saul with a Commission if it were to Damascâ—s to take them and bring them bound to Jerusalem As is clear from Acts 9. 1 2. And 3. if ye consider his own poor condition and that of others the Servants of Christ at that time who were hunted from corner to corner yea from Kingdom to Kingdom These and many such things as these were at that time to make Barnabas sad and yet this makes him take all in the better part and in a manner digest all That when he came he saw the Grace of God had accompanied the Labours of his despised Servants and a rich Income of Souls to the knowledge of Christ and the Gospel And when he saw this he was glad He is in some sort so transported with it That in a manner he forgets Stephen's death he envyeth not the prosperous state of the Churches Enemies noâ— doth much resent his Own hard lot or that of others who were Christs Faithful Saints and Servants All which cleareth the Doctrine That the spreading of Truth will make a Godly Heart Glad though the times otherwise were never so sad Thus was it with the Apostle Paul Philip 1. 12. The things which happened unto me saith he meaning his Bonds Imprisonment and other harsh usage have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel Whereupon v. 18. he breaks out What then notwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in Truth Christ is Preached and I therein do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce For Vse 1. Try your selves by this What it is that makes you Glad Is it the thriving of Gods work in Souls The down-bearing of Sin The growth of Piety If so It speaks thee to be a man of Barnabas temper and upon the other hand If things of that kind do rather make the sad and if the back-going of Gods Work The destroying what he hath built The plucking up of what he hath planted The thriving of sin and Wickedness The general Loosness of the times If I say these things make thee Glad It speaks thee to be a man of a woful temper a very Godless Heart But 2. If this be a thing that will make a Godly Heart Glaâ— in the saddest of times then Pray to God for it that it may be so That the Work of God may thrive in Hearts That those woful Spiritual Plagues of Security Deadness and Hardness of Heart may be removed and the Gospel may take many by the Heart who never hitherto knew the Power of it It 's easie for God to bless his Truth in the Mouth of his despised and persecuted Servants and to make a gracious Change tho Wickedness were at the greatest hight And if he do it whatever may be the other sadness of the Times thou who art a Godly Heart shall have reason to be Glad yea and thou shall
light breaks out to the clearing of the Truth These are Reasons why Hereticks must be Vse The use is seeing the Spirit of Error began so early to trouble the Church in the Apostles time that were guided with an infallible Spirit then ye are not to wonder that Error should trouble the Church now when there are not such infallible lights as these The Spirit of Error is a bold darring Spirit it will dare to contradict God Himself and find out some shift to cast at that which God Himself sayeth As may be seen Gen 3. The Lord said The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die And Sathan contradicts it thou shalt not surely die And so no wonder there be such impudence seen in the Spirit of Error now as to cast at any thing which Gods Servants say seeing Satan still Acts the Instruments of Error Vse 2 But secondly from this Doctrine learn not to quarrell with Gods most Holy and wise Providence in that he suffers so many Errors to be We are ready to think that if God had that care of his Church Covenant and Cause as men would think he had he would not suffer such Effronted Spirits and such Blasphemous Hereticks to prevail and to outdare his Truth But that is to quarrel the Lords providence and without a ground He whose furnace is in Zion can make all the tryals of the time that arise from Error to contribute much for the clearing of Truth by this means he will rouse up his People to study Truth to understand it better to search out grounds for it and that is one advantage only ye would know also that these times will be discovering times they will discover many a corrupt heart many unstable hearts and light heads many proud Spirits and many that have Lusts lurking within them So that many will choose that Religion that will gratify their Lusts most For there is not an Error that Sathan hatches but there is one Lust or other within People that speaks for it and there is nothing more ready to make People take in Error than their harbouring of unmortified Lusts. So in 2 Timoth Cap 3. The Apostle speaking of those who should be caried away with false Teachers says in the 6. v. For of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins led away with diverse Lusts Unmortified Lusts are as fuel to make the fire of Zeal for Error to burn very hot in Peoples bosom and so Error will try People this way Doct V. Next observe he sayes Believe not every Spirit that is believe not every Doctrine that hath the name of the Spirit and fair pretences put upon it as if they were the Doctrines of the Spirit of God believe them not From this we learn That the foulest Errors go out oftentimes under fairest names and are backed with most specious pretences what Fouler Errors than these spoken of here The denying of the Son of God And yet what fairer Names than the Spirit What fairer pretences than that they are Doctrines taught by the Spirit of God We will find this of all Errors spoken of in Scripture for the most part Coraâ— Dathan and Abiram's Error whereby they rose up against the Magistracy of Moses and Preist-hood of Aaron hath a fair pretence for it Ye take too much upon you Moses and Aaron are not all the Lords People Holy And Jeroboams Error his Idolatry in setting up the Calf at Dan and Bethel hath a fair pretence 1 Kings 12. It is too fair for you c. The Peoples ease and the publick good is the thing he pretends though his design was far otherwise And so these that urged Justification by works and opposed the way of free Grace and being justified by Faith they had their fair pretences O! say they to cast off Workes from Justification will make People secure wee may sin that Grace may abound very taking pretences all of them and as taking as any that Error is now covered over with The Reason of the Doctrine is from the cause for which the Tempter presents Error under fair colours and specious pretences which is this That he may make the Error the more taking For these are the baits he puts on the hook that he may deceive and catch the simple Therefore for use of this Doctrine ye would not be deceived with fair pretences or ravishinglike expressions that Error may be fairded over with See what the Apostle Paul sayes to this purpose 2 Thess cap. 2 v. 2. Where speaking against an Error he beseeches them by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ That they be not soon shaken in mind or troubled neither by Spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand It supposes that the spreaders of that Error had all these three pretences Firstâ— they pretended the Spirit that it was a Doctrine taught them by the Spirit of God accompanied by his presence in their Spirits with more than ordinary flashes and raptures and In-bearings of the Spirit of Light And Secondly that they had the word or Scripture to alledge for it And Thirdly they picked somewhat out of Pauls Letters for them so would they say In speaking against us he contradicts himself These are fair pretences and yet sayes Paul be not shaken in mind with them So say I ye would guard your self against the fair pretences which Error may have and look not only to the out side but to the inside of them and then ye will find most bitter Serpents Lurking under fairest flowers As for example The Mother of all Error Tolleration hath a fair pretence for it viz. that good men may Err and so in suppressing Error ye may suppress Piety A fair pretence but it hath afoul end For by this meanes Blasphemers Denyers of God and Jesus Christ must have Liberty to vent their damnable Errors if so be that they can but pretend Conscience and so stable roome must be given in Christs Church to every unclean beast that ever was hatched in Hell The Antinomian Errors again have a fair pretence O say they Christ hath become sin for us and therefore it is taken off from us so we are not bound to repent for it for to say that we are to repent were to take the burthen off from Christs Back and to put it on our own These are specious words without solidity but they contradict Scripture Truths where they are narrowly looked to Peter was a justified Person and yet when Christ looked on him He weeped bitterly Davids sin was pardoned and Christ had taken the burthen of it and yet David was to Repent of it and to be corrected for it and so the Lord tells him that the sword should not depart from his house because he had made the Enemies of the Lord to Blasphem and yet sin was not laid upon David to satisfy divine Justice for it Only he must get
were no more left than might meet in a single Congregation for the Text faith They were all scattered abroad throughout the region of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles To this we answer That if it be granted that there were moe Congregations before this Persecution then it makes out the point we are to prove But Secondly Neither do we yeild that which they affirm That by the persecution mentioned Act. 8. 1. The multitude was brought to such a few number as they could make up but one Congregation It is said indeed They were all scattered except the Apostles But by this all is not meaned all the Professors but all the Preachers and there are several reasons to prove it For it is said Saul made havock of the Church verse 3. Now if he had meaned that all the Professors were scattered where should Saul have gotten Men and Women to hail to Prison and that this was done in Jerusalem Paul himself acknowledges Act. 26. 10. A second thing to prove that this all that was scattered was the all of the Preachers and not of the Professors is that in verse 4. where it is said They were scatered abroad every where Preaching the Word So that it astricts the scattering mainly to those who were Preachers For certainly the whole multitude could not have gone to Preach the Word And Thirdly The Apostles remain still at Jerusalem as appears from the first verse Now to what end and purpose should the Apostles have stayed there behind the rest except there had been several Flocks there with whom they stayed with the hazard of their Lives to confort them against the Persecution which had driven their Preachers from them But a second answer is That however they had been so scattered in the beginning of the Persecution that there was no more of them than made up a single Congregation yet in process of time they so multiplyed that they behooved to make up many Congregations And for this ye may find out several places as Act. 9. 31. They were multiplied and Act. 12. 24. speaking of Jerusalem The word of God grew and multiplied But we shall take one place for all In Act. 21. 20. where the Elders relate to Paul the exception that the People had taken at him for his going to the Gentiles Thou seest Brother how many thousands of Jews there are which believe c. Now the word rendered thousands in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Ten Thousands so there were not only Thousands but Ten Thousands yea and many ten thousands there And so moe than could be Edified in one single Congregation And that these were of Jerusalem is clear from verse 21. They are informed of thee c. And from verse 22. the multitude must needs come together c. Now this is from the first ground of our Proof 2. The second ground from whence we are to prove That there were moe Congregations in the Church of Jerusalem than one is taken from the multitude of Christs Officers That there were so many that it had been a shame for them all to wait upon one flock We find the Apostles were there as in Act. 6. 15. about the choosing of the Deacons We find they were also there in Acts 15. v. 6. Now besides the Apostles we find there were other Church-Officers in Jerusalem as in Acts 11. verse last There were Elders there where he is speaking of Jerusalem as it appears in verse 27. Besides there were Prophets in it as in verse 27. of the same Chapter And in these aayes came Prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch And it is the Judgement of several Interpreters that the seventy Disciples whom Christ sent out to Preach were still at Jerusalem And that they were of the number of these hundred and twenty mentioned Act. 1. 15. Now let any man consider if it was likely especially when the Harvest was so great That so many of the Apostles should be ordinary Hearers of the Word and only one but to speak especially when we consider That when Christ sent out the twelve Disciples only he sent them not out all together but two by two and so certainly a wise man may well conclude That there behooved to be moe Congregations there than one yea many Congregations This is for the second ground of our proof The third ground is taken from the multitude of Languages that were in Jerusalem Act. 2. 5 8 9. 10. 11. and Act. 6. Which diversity did necessitate them to enjoy the Ordinances in divers distinct Congregations in their own Language And that it might be so the Spirit furnished the Apostles with diversity of Languages The fourth ground to prove this point is taken from the way of their Meeting which was not in void capacious Rooms built for the purpose as we now have for they had not then the Civil Magistrate for them to allow places of meeting for the purpose but only in private Houses upper Chambers Houses allowed to them by private Christians as Act 2. 46. And surely it cannot be conceived that their Houses could contain so many thousands and therefore of necessity they could not meet all in one Congregation Thus we have made out the first point That there were moe Congregations than one in Jerusalem We might prove the like in the other Churches of Ephesus Antioch Corinth Rome Thessalonica that there were moe Congregations than one there also And that from the multitude of Believers the Scripture speaks of the multitude of Preachers diversities of Languages But for brevities cause we pass to the other point which is the second thing we have to make out and it is this II. That all these Congregations in Jerusalem were under one Government there was one common Judicatory that Ruled them all in common As our Presbytry is over all the Congregations within its bounds And for clearing of this we lay down three things The First is that although there were many particular Congregations at Jerusalem yet they are called but one Church so in several places they are called the Church Act 8. 1. 15. 4. c. And by the way this refutes one of the Independent tenets whereby they affirm That the name of Church is never given under the New Testament but to those who meet ordinarly in one place for the discharging of all parts of Gods Worship But to the Argument For what reason could they be called one Church Not because they met together in one place for the Ministration of the word Sacraments and Prayer For those were dispensed to them in their singular Congregations severally and so certainly they are called one Church because they were under one Government one Eldership above them to Govern them As the Church of Scotland is called one Church because all her Congregations are Governed by one General Assembly Secondly We add to the former In this one Church made up of many Churches we find there are Ruling Elders so we