are for Excommunicating where others do but suspend though Mr. Prin can tell you that even that is in truth an actual Excommunication without any precedent citation articles legal proceeding hearing sentence c. Append will do more than they and not less according to this principle And if you will needs believe that you are not authorized to do it a ready way in this age to put off some troublesome work I hope you will seek to them that you think have Authority If it be in a meeting of Ministers make use of them If in a Bishop use him if you have one if not procure one For me thinks men that own the necessity of Discipline should do their best to procure the exercise of it And as for that Book of Mr. Prins which occasioned me to say the more to you on these passages though I highly honour the Author's name and disown the way of his Vicar A. against whose way he principally intendeth it yet I must say that his writing shews me as well as his Icon that All flesh is grass the best men vanity And what the Church and World must suffer if the best men had the ruling of it That all ministers who will not give the Sacraments to all their Parishioners legally qualified and desiring the same p. 4. should be used as he directeth viz. their Tithes withheld by the people themselves imprisoned and ejected I cannot wish especially if I consider what the legal qualification is and if I believe him here that no Ordinance can be made without the consent of King Lords and Commons and that the Ordinances wanting these are meer Nullities in Law These evils which I foresee go not down so easily with me as with that pious Author 1. That hereby the greatest part of the ablest godly Ministers in England as far as I am able to learn must be turned out and imprisoned 2. And then the Churches either left destitute or possessed by ignorant drunken scondalous men there being not worthy men of his judgement to supply them 3. And how many thousand souls may perish everlastingly 4. And Gods worship be abused and his name dishonoured through the Land 5. And the great hopes of godly people frustrate concerning the prosperity of the Church as to posterity and their joy turned into sorrow 6. And the enemies have their ends 7. And would be able to tell us that where the Bishops cast out one able Minister they have cast out many 8. That even the men whom Mr. Prin most intendeth should have so much to say for their former resistance and usage of such men as he as to say You see now what men these are and what desolating cruel works they would make if it had fallen to their Lot to govern 9. That even the multitude of sober Godly men should have such a temptation to rejoyce at that which once they lamented even that such as Mr. P. are kept from power and that they have escaped so great a calamity as he here designeth them 10. That indeed such a spirit of violence should be found in so good a man that hath tasted of so much persecution himself as to endeavour to imprison and eject all the Ministers in England that think the Law of God is stricter then the Laws of England standing as heretofore in point of Qualification of Receivers whom we must admit 11. That the Quakers who are now crying down Tithes should be so much furthered in their design as to have the people taught to detain them by Law and they that are crying down the Ministry should be so far directed to eject them 12. And that the multitude of obstinate rebellious people that will scorn to come to a Minister or hear him speak to them personally or will live in many notorious Vices which the Law enabled us not to use Discipline against or the ignorant that know not who Christ is God or man nor will be accountable to us of their understanding the Essentials of Religion but watch all advantages to defame their Ministers and hinder their doctrine and detain their maintenance and get them out I say that these should have now directions put into their hands for non-payment of Tithes and for imprisoning and ejecting them All these things I confess are grievous to me though I believe that the principal intention of the Author was to direct some better men that might be wronged by the overmuch rigor of some Minister that was guilty of unwarrantable separation But good meanings will not warrant such attempts Were I of Mr. Prin's Judgement against suspension from Sacraments I think yet I should rather choose to be suspended in another sort my self than be guilty of Imprisoning and Ejecting all the Ministers in England that gave not the Sacraments to all their Parishioners according to the Laws which never were repealed by the threefold consent of Kings Lords and Commons And herein I see what one bad opinion or principle in practicals will do even in the best and most experienced men and what actions must be expected from the best man if his Judgement be mistaken And I see also whether the Doctrine of Common Admission leadeth The fift Disputation De Nomine Whether Hypocrites and other Unregenerate persons be called Church-members Christians Believers Saints Adopted Iustified c. Univocally Analogically or Equivocally Luke 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his own life he cannot be my Disciple And whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple Vers. 33. Whosoever he be that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts. Rom. 8.9 Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his 1 Pet. 2.6 7 9 10. He that Believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you which Believe he is pretious Ye are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that you should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous light which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God Rom. 6.16 His Servants ye are to whom you Obey John 12.26 Where I am there shall also my Servant be Ephes. 5.23 24 25 26 27 29 30. Christ is the Head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the Body As the Church is subject to Christ so let Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it with the Washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himself a Glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without blemish No man ever yet hated his own Flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the
so First they must avoid â—hristian communion with him in ordinary wayes wherein they are free as all private or voluntary open familiarity Secondly But if he intrude by the Pastors approbation into Publike communion in Prayer Prayses or Sacrament they ought not to withdraw from the communion of the â—hurch because of his presence First because they have the Liberty of esteeming him as they please Secondly because it is not their fault but the Pastors Thirdly and therefore it is but a Physical and not a Moral communion that they have with him Fourthly because they are bound to hold communion with the Church in the use of Ordinances And as for the Infant on that account baptized iâ— is so few acts of communion that an Infant is capable of that the question seems to be of no great moment how far we should have communion with them But I conceive we should take them as baptized persons externally and so far members of the Church though wrongfully admitted 7. To which purpose it is not altogether inconsiderable that the Minister being by Office the Baptizer and so the Judge of his own Actions whom he ought to Baptize and whom not the action is not Null though he mistake in his Judgement and apply the Ordinance to one that he should have refused For he doth but an act belonging to his Office though he do it amiss or on a wrong subject As if a Judge do pass sentence mistakingly yet may it be valid as to some execution For though he have no power given him directly to pass a wrong Judgement yet in order to passing a right Judgement he hath power to follow his own discretion and to pass such a Judgement as shall at least in tantum stand though it prove wrong I confess the Ministerial Power somewhat differeth from a strict Decisive Judicial power but yet there is so much resemblance as may serve to illustrate the matter in hand Object Then if a Minister Baptize a Heathen it is not Null because he is Judge whom to baptize Answ. 1. On the grounds we now go on it it a contradiction to baptize a Heathen that by a present profession is such For Baptizing essentially containeth the persons external Covenant or Profession of Believing in and Dedication to the Father Son and Holy Ghost If there be not by the person and Minister such a Dedication it is not Baptism for if the bare external Washing were Baptism then we were every day baptized Now he that is Baptized into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost doth thereby renounce Heathenism so far Though whether his Profession shall be credited dependeth on the probability of its verity or falsity But on the first mentioned Definition of Baptism it will be granted you that Baptizing a Heathen is not a Nullity as to the outward Baptism though it be unprofitable and sinful But to go on former grounds I further answer 2. It is one thing for a Judge to mis-judge a Cause that belongeth to his Judgement and another to mis-judge a cause that is wholly exempted from his Judgement and belongeth not to him In the former his Judgement may stand in divers cases because he was made Judge In the later it is wholly Null for he is but a Private man and hath nothing to do in the business and therefore whether he judge right or wrong it is Null As if a Judge go to another Bench or into another Circuit which is out of his Commission So here where a man layeth claim to Baptism and professeth himself a Christian the Minister is to judge whether he do it truly or falsly and therefore though he mistake the Baptism is not Null For though the man be notoriously ungodly yet it is supposed that the Notoriousness is not absolutely unquestionable and that the person doth not profess it when he comes to Baptism but deny it by professing Faith and Repentance and so though the Church have sufficient ground to discredit that profession by reason of hâ—s contradicting Life yet a Controversie it is while the person claims a Right in Baptism for his child and being a Controversie the Pastor is judge But if he baptize a Heathen that makes No Profession of Christianity true or false then he medleth in a matter exempted from his Power and out of his Commission and contrary to it and that which can be no Controversie fit for his determination and therefore it is Null and indeed no Baptism Object If the Pastor be thus Judge how can you say as before That the Notoriously Ungodly are ipso Jure Excommunicated Answ. 1. Ministers are limited in their judgement by the Law of God which telleth how far they may or may not Judge and how far it shall or shall not be effectual The people are not absolutely tied to follow their judgement when they err 2. God hath directed his Precepts for the avoiding of notorious ungodly ones to every Christian directly and not only to the Pastors directly and to the people only from them so that if a Pastor command us to have communion and familiarity with such we are yet to avoid them as far as was before expressed for all that because Gods command is contrary to the Pastors And the Law openly declareth that such are not true Christians or Believers and therefore a Pastors sentence cannot make them such His erring judgement may do more to bring a man into the Church than to keep him in and in keeping him in as to possession it may do more to the conveyance of those Priviledges which are to come meerly from his own hands and administration than those wherein the people are to be instruments Because he is more the Determiner of his own Actions such as are baptizing administring the Lords Supper c. than of theirs For his own Erring Judgement may ligare etsi non obligare entangle him in a kind of necessity of sinning till that Judgement be changed but it cannot tye them nor so necessitate them to sin though it may bring them under some inconveniences and for Order and the Peace of the Church they must quietly peaceably and submissively dissent By the Law of the Land the Kings Judges in his Courts and Assizes were the lawfull Judges of a Traitor that was brought before them and yet in some notorious Cases I suppose he is condemned ipso Jure and any man that can come at him might lawfully stab him without Judgement yea is bound to do it as if they had stood by and seen the Kings Person assaulted as the Lord Major of London did by Wat Tyler Or if it were not in defence but in avenging of the Treason if hainous and in several Cases they might kill them in a forcible apprehension if they resist as they did by the Powder-Traitors here neer us at Holbetch House But what need I mention these things when it is so commonly known that in several Cases the Law enableth us for
246.2 The Church with whom the Covenant is made and to whom the Promises of the Covenant are made is the Spouse of Christ his Mystical Body the Sons and Daughters of the Lord God Almighty a Royal Priesthood a chosen Generation Kings Priests to God But this is the Invisible Church of elect Believers not the Visible Church of Visible Professors Pag. 248. The Church whose gathering together and whose unity of faith c. the Lord intendeth by giving to them to that end some to be Apostles c. must be the Church to which all the promises of the Covenant and Priviledges do belong But the Lord intendeth the gathering c. only of the Invisible Elected and Redeemed Church not of the Visible Professing or Confessing Church c. Pag. 249.4 The Invisible Church and not the Visible as it is such hath Right to the Sacraments because these who have Right to the Covenant have Right to the Seals of the Covenant But only the Invisible Church hath Right to the Covenant For God faith only of and to the Invisible Church and not of the Visible in his gracious purpose Jer. 32.38 And I will be their God and they shall be my people Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law c. Now the Visible Church as the Visible is not within the Covenant therefore the Visible Church as the Visible Church and being no more than the Visible Church hath not Right to the Seals of the Covenant but in so far as they are within the Covenant and in so far as God is their God and they his pardoned and sanctified People as it is Jer. 31.33 34. 5. It is known here that our Brethren joyn with the Papists For Papists ignorant of the doctrine of the Visible Church labour to prove that c. Just so our Brethren take all the places for the Priviledges Covenant Promises Stiles of Sister Love Dove Spouse c. 6. A Church in Covenant with God and the Spouse of Christ c. is a Church whereof all the members without exception are taught of God c. But so it is that no Visible Church on earth that are visible Professors of any competent number is such a Church c. therefore no Visible Church as such is a people or Church in Covenant with God See Roger's Catechis part 2. Art 6. pag. 176 177. Concl. 3. A visible Profession of the Truth and Doctrine of Godliness is that which essentially constituteth a Visible Church Only our Brethren and we differ much about the Nature of this Profession Our Brethren will have none members of the Visible Church but such as are satisfactory to the consciences of all the Visible Church and give Evidences so clear as the Judgement of discerning men can attain unto that they are truly regenerated See further This much I have cited specially as to the main Cause Further as to the Distinction in question see him after pag. 185.4 § 5. 1. Dist. All Believers in foro Dei before God have Right to the Seals of the Covenant These to whom the Covenant and body of the Charter belongeth to these the Seal belongeth But in foro Ecclesiastico in an orderly Church way the Seals are not to be conferred by the Church upon persons because they believe but because they profess their believing See further Pag. 188. 1. The Seals of the Covenant are principally given to the Invisible Church as the Covenant it self c. and The Invisible Church as such as a number of Believers have only Right before God to both Covenant and Seals 2. It 's true the Orderly and Ecclesiastick way of dispensing the Seals is that they be dispensed only to the Visible Church Pag. 286. These and many other places do strongly prove our point and specially that the Profession of Simon Magus who before God deserved to be cast out of the Church Act. 8. is sufficient to make one a member of a Visible Church Yea but none deserve in foro Ecclesiae in the Churches Court to be cast out but such as either confess scandalous Sins or are contumacious or convicted judicially of the same before witnesses c. The same Author in his Peaceable Plea pag. 181. We preach and invite in the Gospel all the uncircumcised in heart and all the wicked to come and hear and partake of the holy things of the Gospel and receive the promises thereof with faith And when they come to this heavenly banquet without their wedding Garment Math. 22.12 13. 2 Cor. 2.16 Mat. 21.43 44. it followeth not because they profane the holy things of God that Ministers who baptize the Infants of hypocrites and profane persons are accessary to the profaning the holy things of Christ It is one thing whom Ministers should Receive as members of the Sanctuary and Church and another thing who should come in Pag. 183. Object Divine wrath is kindled for the profanation of holy things Answ. That this is the Ministers or Churches profanation of holy things is not proved It is not wrath procured by the Ministers or those who Receive them into the Church but wrath procured by the unworthy In comers So far Rutherford Having said thus much to Mr. Blakes denyal of the distinction of Gods judgement and the Churches in this case I proceed to that which followeth in his book pag. 141. Mr. Blake 3. They may tell him of the necessity that is put upon Ministers to prophane this Divine Ordinance in putting this seal ordinarily and unavoidably to meer blank paper which is a most contumelious abuse of it Ans. They may sooner tell it than prove it to be any prophanation or contumelious abuse Big words may be bad arguments It s the Claimer that is the Prophaner whom you encourage by telling him that he hath a Title but it is not the Minister who was never made a searcher of hearts no not to know the truth of a Dogmatical faith and therefore may justly set the seal to a blank paper when the Receiver is made judge whether it be blank or not or at least is to give us the evidence that we must proceed upon I would you would before this have told us whether one that dissemblingly pretendeth your Dogmatical faith be a blank paper or not or one that as a Parrat is taught to say I believe in God c. when he understandeth not what he saith If not it seemes a Dogmatical faith is not the Title then in your account If yea then doth the Minister prophane the Ordinance in giving it such and hath not Mr. Blake sealed to many such blanks and contumeliously abused the Ordinance Mr. Blake They may tell him that poor souls are thus miserably cheated in bearing them in hand that these great priviledges and consequently all further Church priviledges are theirs when the conveyance is meer fraudulent that casts it upon them Answ. 1. Alas poor souls Alas miserable cheaters But who are they They that bear them in hand that