the words which thou gavest me 8. John 17. Faithful then he was and concealed not any part of his Father's will But what this revealed will of the Father is we must not take from our own conjectures but by inspection into it nor may we add thereunto lest we be found lyars John 13.13 Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am Malach. 1.6 If I be a Master where is my fear James 4.12 There is one Law-giver who is able to save and destroy Who art thou that judgest another These are matters universally acknowledged that Christ being the Lord Master and Law-giver of his Church ought to be feared and reverenced as such and to have all his laws and commands observed There is no doubt moved of this But we are not satisfied that all those are Christ's laws which some men would impose upon us under that title Nor doth the acknowledgment that Christ is the one and only supreme Law-giver of the Church the giver of laws which bind the conscience in themselves by which laws he will also judge them to their eternal state the only Law-giver able to save and to destroy as St. James describes him this acknowledgment I say Vide Grâ—t de imper Sum. potest cap. 4. S. 5. pulchrè distinguentem de actionibus Christi Terminalibus mediis doth not hinder but that there may be certain Law-givers under Christ and commissioned by him for the outward ordering of his worship whose laws do bind the conscience too but not immediately i. e. in and of themselves but by vertue of Christ's law that requireth obedience for conscience-sake to the authority ordained by him 7. Those Scriptures which command us to hear and obey Christ under the greatest penalty Matt. 17.5 This is my beloved Son hear ye him Act. 3.23 Every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Hebr. 12.25 See ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Now there is no question moved Whether Christ be not to be heard and obeyed in what he speaks but only Whether he hath in this or the other matter of circumstance and order particularly spoken any thing by way of determination for the resolution of which recourse must be had to the records of vvhat he hath spoken and by them we must be judged Under this head therefore may be also ranked Those Texts of Scripture wherein Christ enjoynes his Disciples to teach all his commands and wherein others are commanded and exhorted to obey them or commended as examples of a diligent observance of them Matt. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you This is often urged by the Catechist But the point of doubt is nor Whether the Apostles were bound to teach and so did teach the observance of all things by Christ commanded but this only Whether Christ did particularly command all that his Church was to observe in the very circumstantials of his outward worship The Scriptures then that call for obedience unto God's commands or commend that obedience referr nothing to this matter till it be manifest that we have such and such commands whereto our obedience is required It will therefore suffice barely to recite them The Scripture-commands for obedience Deut. 13.4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice and cleave unto him Deut. 30.2.8.20 Thou shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day thou and thy children with all thy heart and with all thy soul 1 Chron. 16.13 it should be I suppose 15. verse Be ye alwayes mindful of his covenant the vvord vvhich he commanded to a thousand generations John 14 15 21 23. If ye love me keep my commandments He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me If any man love me he will keep words Chap. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Chap. 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed 1 Ep. John 2.3 4. Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandments Luke 9.26 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him shall the Son of man be ashamed Commendable Examples of obedience Exod. 24.3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments and all the people answered with one voice and said All the words which the Lord hath said will we do Deut. 26.17 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments and to hearken unto his voice Gen. 18.19 I know him Abraham that that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment No question too but Abraham's children and servants were more obedient to his commands in the matters of God's worship and service than those of the separation are generally observed to be who withdraw from Family-devotion c. 1 Cor. 11.23 I received of the Lord that which also I deliver'd unto you It was part of the Apostle's faithfulness to deliver that ordinance to the church vvhich he had received as such from the Lord and whatsoever is deliver'd to the Church So again in the Articles of Christian Faith I deliver'd that which I also received 1 Cor. 15.3 4. under that notion as a Divine ordinance and institution ought first to be so received from the Lord. This Apostle's practise then deserves imitation and in this especially that he very carefully distinguisheth his own counsels and advice from the Divine commands I speak this by permission and not of commandment Unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord. But to the rest speak I not the Lord. -Concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord yet I give my judgment as one that have obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress She is happier if she so abide after my judgment And this Apostolical practise is a sufficient evidence that some things may be advised and practised in the Church without the authority of any special command from God 8. Those Scripturcs which relate to the pattern given in the Mount to Moses and the other to EZekiel Exod. 25.40 Look that thou make them after the Pattern which was shewed thee in the Mount EZek. 43.10 11. Thou son of man shew the House to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and let them measure the pattern and if they be ashamed of all that they have done shew them the form of the House and the fashion thereof and
before upon examination found it a breach of God's positive command vvho had limited them to the fire on the Altar and the keeping of it there for holy uses Some of the Hebrews charge them farther Munster in loc with gross misdemeanour in giving themselves to drink c. Upon which occasion they judge that Precept to have followed ver 8.9 The Lord spake unto Aaron saying Do not drink wine nor strong drink thou nor thy sons with thee when ye go into the Tabernacle of the congregation lest ye die Secondly Of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16.3 8 9 32 35. Their sin was this Having seditiously engaged a considerable party of the Princes of the Assembly famous in the congregation Num. 16.2 3. men of renown the chief Senators of note Deut. 33. 4 5. Moses King in Jesurun They gather'd themselves together against Moses and against Aaron suppose their King and High-priest and said unto them Ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then lift you up your selves above the congregation of the Lord i. e. Why do you usurp and tyrannize over God's people their just rights liberty and priviledges who are as good and holy as your selves and as gifted for publick ministry as your selves Hear we now Moses his reply and that will give us farther to understand their miscarriage vers 8 9 10 11. And Moses said unto Korah Hear I pray you ye sons of Levi Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you near unto himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto them And he hath brought thee near to him and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee and seek ye the Priesthood also for which cause both thou and all thy company are gather'd together against the Lord and what is Aaron that ye murmur against him that is I have setled this order among you by God's authority and he hath called Aaron to the Priesthood which you Levites instead of being thankful for and contented with your lot of Ministry affect and therefore this insurrection of yours to that end is by way of evident interpretation against the Lord. This especially for Korah Dathan and Abiram besides their share in this guilt are found moreover positive Contemners of Moses his command and Revilers of his conduct and government occasioning all their sufferings as if he had aimed at nothing but the establishment of an absolute dominion to himself ver 12 13 14 in their slavery And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab which said We will not come up Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a Land that floweth with milk and hony to kill us in the Wilderness except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us Moreover thou hast not brought us into a Land that floweth with milk and hony or given us inheritance of fields and Vineyards Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men We will not come up This is the true description of the sin of these men And we learn by the way That the sacred Ministry then even in the lowest order of it was a state separated from the people were their holiness or gifts otherwise never so considerable and That there were different degrees of Ministry then appointed by God whose will it was that every one among them should keep his place and not the Levite to invade the Priesthood also yea and none of them nor the whole Congregation of people with them upon any pretence to make a mutiny and insurrection against Moses and Aaron the chief Governours Civil and Ecclesiastical by God and under God set over them This murmuring usurpation and rebellion was the sin of Korah Dathan and Abiram Their punishment now follows Ver. 31 32 33. The ground clave asunder that was under them and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their houses and all the men that appertained unto Korah and all their goods They and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the Congregation And there came out a fire from the Lord Vet. 35. Ver. 41. and consumed the 250 men that offered incense viz. those presumptuous invaders of the Priesthood And yet notwithstanding these miraculous judgments from heaven upon these factious and seditious rebels the people were so leavened with their infecting principles that the very next day they generally murmur against Moses and Aaron saying Ver. 41. Ye have kill'd the people of the Lord. namely these good men Korah Dathan and Abiram and the renowned Senators that stood up with them for our priviledges And upon this came the Plague V. 49. whereof dyed fourteen thousand and seven hundred more of them And now let the Brethren make their best advantage of this story only it may not be amiss to immind them farther St Jude ver 11. that there is such a thing also mentioned in the New Testament as Perishing in the gain-saying of Kore Thirdly Of the sons of Ely A sin not to be expiated vvith sacrifices and burnt-offerings for ever 1 Sam. 2.28 29. Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering which I have commanded in my habitation and honourest thy sons above me to make your selves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people But if we look a little backward we shall be farther satisfied what was the monstrous provocation of these sons of Eli. Ver. 22 24. They lay with the vvomen that assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and made the Lord's people to transgress Now who of any modesty would presume to compare and equallize the admission of certain humane praescriptions for the ordering of God's external worship with such a villany as this Fourthly of Vzza in putting the Ark into a Cart when he should have born it upon his Shoulders 1 Chron. 16.13 He means I suppose chap. 13.7 9 10. where we have the account of Vzza's miscarriage and judgment There vve read indeed of the Ark of God carried in a new cart out of the house of Aminadab and Vzza and Ahio driving the cart But that vvhich the Catechist fixeth on was none of Vzza's condemnation The vvords of the Text are express against him 1 Chron. 13.9 10. And vvhen they came to the threshing-floor of Chidon Vzza put forth his hand to hold the Ark for the oxen stumbled And the anger of the Lord vvas kindled against Vzza and he smote him because he put his hand to the Ark and there he dyed before God Here vve have a taste of that reverence vvhich persons of this way do bear to the Holy
but fitting that we have the proof of this from Christ's institution For we cannot easily forget what he hath lesson'd us Some men are apt to look on this authority of Christ Cat. p. 86 87. as that which hath the least influence into what they do If in any of his Institutions they find any thing that is suited or agreeable unto the light of Nature as Ecclesiastical societies government of the Church and the like they say are they suppose and contend that that is the ground on which they are to be attended to and so regulated accordingly And again p. 88. the suitableness of any thing to right reason or the light of nature is no ground for a church-observation of it unless it be also appointed and commanded in especial by Jesus Christ And If we perform any thing in the worship of God on any other account p. 85. it is no part of our obedience unto him and so we can neither expect his grace to assist us nor his promise to accept us therein for that he hath annexed unto our doing and observing whatever he hath commanded and that because he hath commanded us Nothing therefore will satisfie our conscience here but Christ's authority Christ's command of this mutual Church-league and covenant this holy band and agreement What now doth the Catechist offer us as to this He tells us in the general p. 117. Without this consent no society of any kind can exist This is the form of mens coalescencies into societies Carnal man Is this a motive for Church-observance Shall the light of nature and reason take up the room of Christ's authority and command How strongly inclined is man's nature to bring in humane devices into the government of the Church and the worship of God But the truth is this light of nature is very dimm and this reason none of that we can call right reason All Societies depend not upon mutual consent at least this voluntary and free consent There is a natural society in Families And be the ground and foundation of that civil society we live in what it will in its first beginnings our children are born under government and the laws of that society without personal consent Let him therefore mend his politicks that they tend not to the infecting of religion For this Reasoning seems to lead directly to Anabaptism a step of perfection whereto it seems his principlet have not yet advanced him But 't is possible at long run he may also end there However Cat. p. 117. at present he allows infants to be a proper subject of Baptism Well then by Baptism they are admitted into the Church and being so admitted must needs be looked upon as Church-members and yet confessedly made so enter'd into that society without their voluntary consent We are therefore to seek for farther satisfaction about this Church-covenant this joynt p. 115. voluntrry consent and form of coalescencie into Church-society And I am perswaded our Catechist hath done his best for our information Let us then hear him farther Thus did God take the children of Israel into a Church-state of old Cat. p. 112 He proposed unto them the Church-obedience that he required of them and they voluntarily and freely took upon themselves the performance of it Exod. 24.3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments and all the people answered with one voice and said All the words which the Lord hath said will we do So Deut. 5.7 And hereby they had their solemn admission into their Church-state and relation unto God And the like course they took whenever there was need of renewing their engagements Josh 24.18 21 22. And the people said We will serve the Lord for he is our God And Joshua said unto the people Ye are witnesses against your selves that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him and they said We are witnesses This was the covenant that was between God and that people which was solemnly renewed so often as the Church was eminently reformed Now Cat. p. 113. although the outward solemnity and ceremonies of this covenant were peculiar unto that people yet as to the substance and nature of it in a sacred consent for the performance of all those duties towards God and one another which the nature and edification of a Church do require it belongs to every Church as such even under the Gospel But here crowd in abundance of Exceptions In the general That the practise of a thing in the worship of God under the Old Testament is not any better evidence for Christ's institution than the light of nature and that we have only his bare word for it that the outward ceremonies and solemnities of this covenant were peculiar to that people and the substance of it common also unto us And then particularly 1. The words Church-state and Church-obedience are somewhat mysterious as applyed to the Old Testament 2. The children of Israel however were a national Church and so no pattern for particular Churches 3. This was not the first time of their Church-state or Church-obedience and communion when this covenant was made Exod. 24. The Pass-over service Exod. 12. may look very like a Church-act And was not circumcision long before a seal of a Church-state into which they were admitted 4. This covenant specified was between God and the people and not any voluntary agreement of the people one with another Nor is it true Lastly That this covenant was solemnly renewed by the people's voluntary consent so often as the Church was eminently reformed The chiefest reformations on record in the Jewish Church have been by their supreme rulers sometimes without the people's consent and sometimes commanding and compelling them to consent 2 Chron. 15.8 9 10 12 13. Thus Asa put away the abominable Idols out of all the cities of Judah and Benjamin c. And he gather'd all Judah and Benjamin and the strangers with them c. And they entred into a Covenant That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great man or woman Thus in Hezekiah's reformation 2 Chron. 29.3 4.5 10. He summons the Levites and Priests before him and sets them about their proper office and tells them it was in his heart to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel that his fierce wrath may turn away And thus Josiah made a Covenant before the Lord 2 Chron. 14.31 32. to walk after the Lord c. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it And still according to the goodness or badness of the Prince Reformation advanced or went backward among them Unless therefore the Catcechist's New Testament proof be more pertinent and express than the Old his Church-league and covenant this mutual agreement and consent must no longer be ranked among the institutions of Christ but at the
for the regulation and preservation thereof This sixth Gospel-Institution might very well have been referr'd to the first and I shall content my self to have there shewed the weakness of the foundations here again built upon Only we may observe that by the Catechist's distribution of this power of discipline between Minister and People the Authority which he leaves in words wholly to the Elders See Ch. 10. is little more than a power of executing the Brotherhood's decrees to whom he saith the power of tryal judgment consent or dissent appertains a power yet without authority which looks very like a contradiction However he tells us VVomen are barr'd and excepted from this duty of the body of the Church and consequently these female-members of the Church perform not that obedience unto the Lord Christ which is required in the rest as to this Institution acting in compliance with their Guides and Rulers with the consent of the Brethren only without any previous rational consideration of their own and so if his reason hold are ruled without their knowledg and against their will and by a blind obedience which is not saith he in any thing acceptable unto Christ I admonish these good women therefore once more to stand up for their priviledges of Church-membership and refer them to what hath been already noted Chap. 12. But a word or two ere we part of the places of Scripture here referr'd to as a proof that this power of discipline is so far by Christ committed to the body of the Church the male-members 1. All that can be observed from Acts 15. is this that the Brethren consented unto what the Apostles and Elders determined and appointed verse 6. The Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this matter and therefore all that speak to the case are 1. Peter verse 7. 2. Barnabas and Paul verse 12. and then 3. James the Bishop of the place concludes with his sentence whereto they all agree 'T is expresly said of the Multitude verse 12. All the multitude kept silence As for the multitude gathered together at Antioch verse 30. needs must the Church be assembled since the Letter written was directed to be read unto them for their satisfaction But then that the multitude of the Brethren thought it their duty to meet together as fellow-tryers and judges of the difficult question about Mosaical Ceremonies is weakly inferr'd from Act. 21.22 See this place before quoted P. 1. Ch. 5. Where James the Bishop of Jerusalem tells Paul how much the multitude of Jewish converts were offended at his preaching down Circumcision and Non-conformity to their approved Customs and since it could not be but that they would hear of his presence there was a necessity to call them together that he might vindicate himself before them and remove the prejudice they had concerning him verse 22. What is it therefore The multitude must needs come together for they will hear that thou art come Nor is it likely that the devout women more zealous and forward usually than others Act. 13.50 were excluded from this multitude and then if the Catechist have observed right there is a must for them too as well as the Brethren they also have a Duty and concernment to look after the administration of Church-discipline 2. For 1 Cor. 5. Where saith the Catechist the multitude are blamed who applied not themselves to this duty The matter is the Excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian That which S. Paul chargeth upon them in general is That there was so notorious an offender among them as one that had married his Father's wife and they yet demean themselves so unconcernedly as if it had not been a crime deserving censure and reproach But then as to the judging part he takes that to himself verse 3. I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this deed i. e. Though I am not present with you yet by virtue of that authority which belongs to me being sufficiently assured of the truth of the fact I have already pass'd sentence on him that hath thus offended He doth not expect their tryal and judgment and consent as the Catechist would order the matter but gives the doom without it commands them to see it inflicted ver 4.5 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gather'd together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such an one to Satan i. e. That in a publick Assembly gather'd in the name of Christ in which you are to suppose me vertually present among you by authority of Christ committed to me and from me to you ye proceed to excommunicate him And then farther it is to be noted that this speech of St. Paul might have a prime reference to the Ministers of the Church of Corinth for his Epistle was written to the whole Church the Pastors as well as the Flock However there cannot be from hence inferr'd any thing but that the matter was to be done according to St. Paul's charge and command and by virtue of his authority in the presence of the whole congregation women no dobut as well as men or at most all the whole congregation for the freeing themselves from the scandal of allowing his wickedness appearing in some way of declarative suffrage and consent which consent of theirs entitles them by way of interpretation so far to have acted in this censure but no way intimates that the Apostle's excommunication had not been valid and efficacious without their consent Certainly the power of binding and loosing was never given by Christ to the promiscuous multitude nor do we ever read that he required their consent as necessary to the validity or efficacy of it And this is all I shall add of this matter Two or three short reflections more shall end this Chapter and Book together And First I take notice of a three-fold Directory * One more was observed before Chap. 10. prescribed by the Catechist for the exercise of Church-discipline a thing not becoming so profess'd a Champion of Christ's prescribing the very manner of his own Institutions The first Directory is for private admonition in four particulars Cat. p. 195. 196. Cat. p. 195. 196. Especially four things are to be diligently heeded 1. That the whole duty be so managed that the person offending may be convinced that it is done out of love to him and affectionate conscientious care over him that he may take no occasion thereby for the exasperation of his own spirit 2. That the persons admonishing others of their offence do make it appear that what they do is in obedience to an Institution of Christ and therein to preserve their own souls from sin as well as to benefit the offenders 3. That the admonition be grounded on a rule which alone gives it authority and efficacy 4. That there be a readiness manifested