indirectly to draw mens windes from the way of Christ by this way of his owne creating then he hath clearely gained his end because he will be able to keepe mens understandings in darknesse that is in ignorance or doubt of the truth and their will and affections in confusion and disorder that is in a frame opposit The direct meanes of erecting Satans kingdome to the Law of God and his righteousnesse Now Satan will bee able to doe this directly by his instruments when hee can cause the profession of ignorance to be advanced set up and commended by authority or commanded by a Law or when hee can cause the knowledge and practise of any thing besides that which is setled by meer humane authority for certain ends of State to be made a crime punishable by death by infamie or by any other penaltie and when he can cause the whole frame and profession of Religion to bee fitted onely to establish that greatnesse wherein the glory of the outward state and the authority of his instruments doth consist All which Satan doth with a high hand grosly in the Mahumetan but with more subtiltie and most compleatly in the Papall state and this hee is able to doe every where else in some competent measure wheresoever the maximes of absolute dominion are maintained and where the great Idoll of Politicians which is called the reason or interest of State is onely worshipped and the true reason and interest of Conscience and Religion is laid aside and comparatively not at all regarded I say wheresoever this course is followed there Satan is able to oppose the kingdome of Christ directly But where hee cannot attaine to this hee taketh the neerest The indirect means whereby Satan sets up his kingdome way hee can to gaine the same purpose indirectly which is done by making all doctrines of Truth doubtfull and all Gospel Ordinances full of confusion Now to make all Truths doubtfull hee raiseth disputes and doth find out wayes to make them undecidable and this he doth chiefly by the meanes of those that should bee the unanimous witnesses of that Truth which is called into question when they are disunited amongst themselves And to confound the Ordinances he setteth every one promiscuously upon the administration thereof in his owne way not onely by giving a freedome unto all both to doe without controule what they please in such matters and to condemne and oppose every one that is not of their way but also by disanulling the authoritie by which all order should bee setled in Church and Common-wealth And to bring all this to passe his main endeavour is to cause the Ministers of the Gospel either to bee subordinate unto his ministers in all things at their will or by variance of judgement amongst themselves and difference of practises from each other to lose their way to neglect the rules of unitie and forbearance which the Word prescribeth to uphold the communion of Saints which is their strength to breake the bonds of love and peace and having ingaged them into quarrels to bring them within the compasse of his reach that is to move them to act their controverties by the wayes of the power and policie of his kingdome for self aimes For if hee once can corrupt the simplicitie of their mindes so that they minde not truely the dutie of being conformable to the Word in every thing and to the spirituall aime of Christs walking in the world and if he can ingage them into worldly designes to advance the same in a worldly way hee hath gotten them cleerly within his reach where he will endeavour to the utmost first to cause them utterly forget and lay aside the aime of their spirituall calling Secondly to allure them unto and affect them with the appearance and glory of his dominion Thirdly to act them by the principles of outward feares and hopes to that which hee would have them doe and when hee hath once gotten them thus farre under the power of this snare he will be able without resistance to carry them headlong amongst themselves to more and more uncharitablenesse and unconscionablenesse of conversation whereby breaches will bee multiplied and made irreconciliable For although a difference arise but from a very small and circumstantiall matter amongst them as it doth naturally fall out amongst other men yet Satan aiming at them above all others to get advantages against them if he doth find them in such a case either without brotherly and charitable affections or inclined to please themselves hee will bee able to worke upon them first jealousies and by jealousies mistakes and by mistakes a distance and strangenesse by reason of worldly aimes differently carried on and when plots and passions are come to some maturitie crosse courses and mutuall provocations will bee set on foot reall injuries will bee offered complaints and clamours will break forth which in continuance make the divisions of hearts past all remedy and irreconciliable because it is not possible that men who aime at worldly matters should deny themselves either the use of their wit and passions in the prosecution of their designe or neglect the strength which they have in hand when they thinke it can serve their turne For if they should doe so they should seeme to quit their designes and so lose at once both the credit and profit thereof which to men that make use of their reason onely to compasse their owne will and to that effect can employ both power and policie is a thing altogether insufferable as being no lesse contemptible then folly and as hatefull as death This I conceive to bee one of the mysteries of iniquity by which Satan doth prevaile against the Ministers of the Gospel even against many men that are otherwise godly and able but are not sufficiently aware of his wiles by which they are drawn from their owne and ensnared in his way by which meanes their hands being weakned in their work hee gaineth his end at least indirectly by their infirmities and miscarriages Therefore all such as are conscionably sensible of their own frailties and of those dangers should bee wakened from securitie to become watchfull over their owne souls in these times of temptation for amongst the Protestant Churches where with the increase of knowledge a true sense of Christian libertie is begotten in the minds of professors Satan hath none other way to fit to erect his kingdome as this is of dividing the Ministers for which cause as wee see their divisions daily increased so the remedies should be the more earnestly thought upon and offereed with freedome and tendernesse unto all indifferently but chiefly to those who are neerest in principles and have least cause to walke asunder and bâ— at a distance These remedies can bee none other but the helpes to holy The remedy against Satans way of corrupting the ministery communion amongst Ministers in the prosecution of spirituall aimes tending to the advancement of Truth
an Ephes 2. 21. holy temple in the Lord. For all are called unto the unitie of the same body by God and the ministeriall worke is appointed to bring all to the 1 Cor. 12 13. Col. 3. 15. Ephes 4. 13. unitie of the same faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ If therfore any plea bee taken up for a singular distance which is grounded upon disjoynting principles this will not suit with the purpose of God which is to make up the whole body of Christ into one that by the compacting of the members thereof there may bee an effectuall working in the measure of every part to Ephes 4. 16. make the increase of the body for the building of it self up in love What principle then soever doth overthrow this compacting of the whole for this end to bee fulfilled in and by every part is destructive to the glory of Christ and the happinesse of his members If then the principle of Christian libertie and the plea for it and for the particular rights of distinct Congregations is made by the subtiltie of Satan the chief instrument of our divisions and distractions at this time and in this kind it must bee qualified by the principle of holy communion and the plea for the unitie of the members of Christ and for the common rights of the profession of Christianitie For the Apostolicall rule is cleer that wee are indeed called unto libertie onely wee Gal. 5. 13 14. must neither use libertie nor plead for it that it may give an occasion to the flesh but wee are commanded by love to serve one another because the whole Law is fulfilled in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe And if this Law bee not observed it is cleer that wee Rom. 13. 9. walke not worthy of the calling wherewith wee are called what ever the truth of our principle or the justice of our plea may bee in it selfe For it is not the Theoreticall upholding of a truth that will save us but the doing of the will of God woe be then unto us if by our disputes for that which wee think to bee truth and righteousnesse Satan doth insnare us and by the practise of a singular distance doth so far lead us out of the way as to make us his instruments to divide and disjoynt the spirits and the practises of professors that the essentiall unitie of the whole and the visible conjunction of the members being put out of the thoughts and aimes of common professors all societies may bee broken to pieces and all relations to common duties made void according to the will and fansie of every one that will pretend to bee a Saint in such or such a degree above his neighbour that so by our singular distances through strife for selfe-interests scandals may bee multiplied and the honour of Gods Name in the holy profession blasphemed in the world Therefore to avoid all this nothing is so fit or more necessary and usefull then to maintaine this communion and correspondency which we plead for which is nothing else but a free and voluntary concurrence of spirituall counsels and endeavours which God as the Father of Spirits and King of Saints doth require in his children and Office-bearers for the advancement of the kingdome of his Son that it may appear unto the world that the Church is his house that hee is the ruler of it by his Word and Spirit and that the Ministers thereof depend unanimously upon him as his childen and servants and that in their mutuall relations they stand united to each other not by a rule of their owne chusing and transacting from which they may exclude one way or other whomsoever they please but by the common rule which is his love whereby they are bound to each other as Brethren and as his servants that is fellow-members of the same body of Christ for al the members of every body are but servants to the head in the whole to to each other for the heads sake and for the good of the whole Although then every member hath a facultie of life and a right through that facultie to act in and by it self the worke of its owne office and hath immediatly from the head its direction what to doe and is not under the command of any particular fellow-member yet in the use of this facultie and in the exercise of this right every member is directed by the head to subordinate it selfe to the service of the whole and to depend upon the unitie thereof and not to stand or act by it self for the Apostle saith that the eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor the head though head and over all the rest to the feet though but feet and under all the rest I have no need of you but even the weakest and the most unseemly members are the most necessary and every one of them in the performance of their duties towards the whole for none of them are allowed to doe any thing for themselves alone are made to depend upon each other If this doctrine were laid to heart and applied practically without disputing to particular matters now in dispute and if our braines were lesse and our consciences more exercised in looking herein to that which is without all dispute the known will of God wee should not need to be troubled with the nicities though wee might conferre about them of the proper seat of right to power and government and with the nationall debates of the prioritie of the universall and of the rights and priviledges of the particular Churches upon which rocks our affections being now split all the duties of necessary communion correspondency and concurrence are neglected amongst us notwithstanding all the known excellencie commendablenesse and usefulnes thereof Therefore my purpose is to set before the consciences of those that seek life the lovelinesse of this dutie whereunto we have already attained if so be we will but put forth our hand unto it as to the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God and not feed upon the Theory of disputable opinions concerning particular rights and priviledges which are to us a tree of the knowledge of good and evill whereof the fruit doth worke nothing but death and enmitie between God and us and between man and man nothing but strife and distances by reason of our pride wherewith our knowledge doth puffe us up to appeare somewhat more then others in all our undertakings Sect. II. Of the excellency of unitie and of the fountaine thereof Charitie THe holy Ghost hath set himself of purpose to commend Unitie and Charitie unto us which now I am to speak of in two severall places of Scripture which I shall make the matter of this Section to represent onely the heads thereof in brief unto such as are conscionable that by themselves
prejudicate opinions deceive us no where more then in the thoughts of persons the imaginations which wee frame to our selves of others and of their principles insnare our affections and shut us up from that freedome of spirit towards them which might bee a meanes either to gaine or to discover them to us for they byas our proceedings and corrupt that ingenuitie without which wee are darkned and neither can discerne others nor be discerned by them in truth For when wee apply our selves to one this way and to another that way and doe not walke equally by the plain Rule of the new creature towards all wee must needs be intangled and lose our strength which is upheld by nothing so much as by that plainnesse wherein it is alwayes like it selfe Our various presumptions of men and of their different designes cause us to be with child and when they have put us in pain they make us bring forth as it were wind nor can wee at all worke any deliverance in the earth by them to our selves or others because we bring nothing but earthly wisedome with us to subdue the spirits of men before which the inhabitants of the world will never fall Therefore if wee would seeke out and find those that are fit to receive the good which wee would offer to them let us never take upon us to judge determinately of any man this or that way according to appearances but leaving him to God and himselfe let us judge righteous judgement as wee desire others to judge and presume of us by the Rules of Charity so let us apply our thoughts unto them for this will keep us in a frame of freedome within our selves and ingenuity towards them without which no safe addresse can bee made unto any 2 To discover then such as are capable of the good which wee 2. To addresse our selves to all by one rule observe by whom the good which is offered is resented doe follow wee must addresse our selves unto all alike by one and the same Rule of sincerity and truth and where wee finde that the good which wee have prosecuted is resented there we should apply our selves more particularly to multiply the manifestation thereof unto them and to fix more deeply the sense thereof into their apprehensions For where wee see that God doth cause the seed which is sowen to take root there wee may hope that being watered it will fructifie by his blessing 3 And although our addresses should bee thus towards all 3. To make a more speciall application to those that are of note yet this must not hinder a more speciall application of our selfe to some who are likely to bee more capable then others of good motions such then as are of good report for piety and parts such as are noted for temper and moderation from humane passions and such as are apparently zealous for the workes of Reformation ought to bee lookt upon with a speciall eye and sought out They ought to be dealt withall more plainly and more fully for the setting of their judgements aright and the clearing of doubts which they may have concerning our wayes and principles and then wee ought also to put an edge upon their affections to concurre with us towards a progresse in publike workes that the righteousnesse which doth reach alike unto the edification of all may bee advanced for the compleating of the work of our reformation 4 And as publick and private reports are not altogether to 4. Not to beâ— much swayed with good or evill reports concerning any but to measure all by the true standard the life of Christ in the Spirit bee slighted for the finding out of men so are they not either way easily and much to bee credited for they are carried for the most part by interests and a man of judgement that doth set a rule unto himselfe in all his wayes will both on this side and on that side arme himselfe against the strong impressions of evill and good reports Against the evill ones hee will have in store charitable constructions of things that may bee well taken lest his spirit be rashly byased to a wrongfull affection against him that deserveth it not and against the largenesse of the good ones hee will ballance himselfe with discretion and prudence lest hee bee swayed through too much credulity to a groundlesse confidence in one that may deceive him and thus keeping himselfe both wayes free in an equall temper neither too high nor too low in his apprehensions to rise and fall with the blasts of reports hee will bee able to steer an even course in his cariage towards all measuring himselfe and all other men in his and their actions by one and the same rule which is the life of Christ in the Spirit for that is the onely standard by which all are to bee measured that is the onely touchstone by which all spirits are to bee tryed whether they bee true gold or not In this search and discoverie of persons although none are to bee excluded of what qualitie and condition soever yet those that are called Divines are chiefly to bee sought after because they have a great influence upon the spirits both of the multitude and also of the ordinary sort of stayed men to sway their affections Except then wee deale with these men according to these rules to gaine them to our ayme wee shall finde the wayes of peace and union mainely obstructed and the gall of bitternesse now stirred and overflowing in many almost impossible to be allayed I have done with the discovery of persons fit to bee dealt withall The third point is concerning the means by which confidence may bee begotten in these towards us and set a working towards all for the composure of differences This meanes I conceive is none other but a free and orderly Treatie to be set a foot between some of us and some of their side And to the end that The meanes to beget confidence is a treatie of which the requisites are briefly noted by this meanes mutuall confidence may bee begotten equall power to propose matters to bee taken into consideration and equall freedome from awfull prescriptions must bee assured unto all and an equall engagement must bee conscionably laid upon all alike to meet to meet I say constantly and never to leave off the Treatie till the end for which it shall bee undertaken be attained or at least the course which therein should bee followed shall be brought to a full period The disagreement was originally about the frame and constitution The subject thereof is twofold of Churches but now it is about the power of setling the government of the Kingdome the first controversie hath still an influence upon the latter so that this will never bee well agreed without some determination of that The treaty concerning Civill government can bee no where 1. Concerning civill government to bee transacted in the Parliament set
not the will of him that commands me but mine owne for I walke not in the obedience of Faith but in the dictates of my phansie for now I leane to mine owne understanding and suffer the pride of my heart to bee my counsellour which being unwillling to be foiled in any undertaking doth make me quit the worke because I thinke I shall not have the credit of it But if for some other reasons I demurre upon the dutie and suspend mine action as perhaps because I see not I can gaine this or that benefit by it or because I thinke it not seasonable to appeare till matters of State bee so and so contrived that such and such a businesse may come in at such a time for such a designe c. although in matters meerely humane arbitrary and externall I doe not blame this prudentiall contrivance yet I say if any such consideration should by as my resolution towards the performance of that which in it self is a dutie and of a spirituall nature as I feare it doth with many then I walke no more by the grace of God in simplicitie but by the wisedome of men in the world then my aime is not to serve Christ but rather to make use of Christ and his kingdome and of my interest in the work of the Gospel to serve either mine own turne or the turnes of other earthly men out of it and if I doe so it is cleer that I doe the worke of the Lord deceitfully and the reward of an hypocrite will be given to me Upon these grounds I have laid aside all such hidden things of darknesse which I have seen sway with some in the works of this nature and therefore I am perswaded I have herein a good conscience towards God which doth give mee confidence to cast my selfe upon him hoping for a blessing upon these endeavours because I looke to nothing but the doing of his will therein Although then I may ingenuously confesse that I cannot rationally Motives disswading the publication of the ensuing Treatie foresee as the times now are and as most men stand affected to each other that these motions will bee entertained for they will sute no ends of parties but am rather apt to conceive that some who thinke themselves wise will laugh at mee and at this discourse that most will not relish the motions as being somewhat out of the common way that many will mistake my meaning misconstrue my aime and fall foul upon me perhaps for what they have misconstrued and mistaken And finally that few or none that seeme to bee Pillars will heartily joyne and help to advance either these or other impartiall wayes Motives inducing thereunto of peace I say although this may bee confessed yet I cannot forbeare to offer these thoughts unto you both that I may discharge my conscience towards God in the vow which I have made to prosecute Peace and Truth by walking in the light whatsoever some may or doe thinke of mee and also that they may stand not onely for mee as a witnesse that I have sought without partialitie the wayes as well of Truth as of Peace amongst Brethren but also rise up in judgement if you thinke good to publish them against those who for worldly ends and selfe will lest they should seeme to lose ground keep us at a distance and making our divisions irreconciliable weaken our hands in the Gospel Here I desire not to bee mistaken for I say not that any Why some do keep up our differences what guilt they draw upon themselves thereby doe purposely intend except they be the Emissaries of Jesuits of which too many are crept in amongst us in this dissolution of all order to make our divisions irreconciliable and to weaken our hands in the Gospel God forbid that any professing the Gospel should bee thought so maliciously partiall But this I I meane to say freely that all such as by the management or composure of these differences seeke any way rather to please themselves then in the spirit of meeknesse to please others to their edification I say of these that they keepe us at a distance that they widen our breaches that they make our divisions by little and little irreconciliable and so they weaken both their owne and their Brethrens hands in the Gospel and herein they not taking heed to themselves principally serve no bodies turne but Satans and become his instruments most effectually to hinder the power and prevalencie of the Truth For it is Satans maine interest above all others to set and keep the Ministers of What Satans interest is in the differencâ— of Ministers the Gospel at variance amongst themselves and disagreeing in the way of their testimonie For as long as they are kept so he is sure that the world the wickednesse and greatnesse thereof and the height of men will not fall before the throne of Jesus Christ by their meanes For if wee will look upon Satans kingdome and consider the wayes by which hee doth set up and settle the Mystery of iniquity in opposition to the kingdome of God among men wee shall perceive that one of them is this That hee being the Prince of this world doth establish the government thereof by meere power and deceiving Policie This government hee endeavoureth alwayes to put in the How Satan doth prosecute his interest hands of such men who intend to make use thereof onely for their owne ends which commonly are none other but greatnesse and glory for this cannot be denyed that as the way of self-deniall and humilitie is proper to Christ and his Kingdome So the practises of men in seeking themselves by power and policie are the works of Satans spirit and of their owne corruption in order to his designes And as the end of naturall men in the world is onely to maintaine and inlarge themselves according to their owne will by their owne wayes so the end of Satan in teaching them to manage their affaires rather by power and policie with an absolute command then by loving perswasions and convictions of the mind with the evidence and demonstration of the Truth is onely to oppose in the soules of men the kingdome of Christ which is the light of Truth and the life of righteousnesse and holinesse For by these Christ is the King and Conquerour of soules for by the light of Truth he ruleth in the understanding and by the power of righteousnesse and holinesse he ruleth in the will and affections of his subjects if then Satan can gaine the opportunitie to set his ministers a worke who by the outward meanes of power and policie for their owne temporall ends draw away mens minds from the attention unto and the apprehension of Truth and put out of their affections the frame of meeknesse love and humility wherein the life of righteousnesse and holinesse doth stand if I say he can get such instruments which hee can act either directly or
per totum Acts 6. Vers 1 2 3 4. 5 6. Tit. 1. per totum Heb. 13. 17. 1 Tim. 5. per totum 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. and 1 Cor. 12. per totum Matth. 20. 25 26 27 28 29. and chap. 23. 8 9 10 11 12. Ephes 4. 11. 16. 3. That the particular Congregations thus governed have power within themselves to eâ—ercise all Christs Ordinances necessary and usefull for their owne edification and preservation from sinne and disorder which power doth originally proceed from their obligation to bee obedient unto his will according to these Scriptures 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. and 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. and chap. 4. 8. and chap. 5. per totum and chap. 6. per totum Heb. 3. 6 7 8 compared with Heb. 2. 1 2. 5. Matth. 17. 5. and 1 Cor. 7. 19. 4. That the Officers of every Congregation may bee chosen and called by the Congregations themselves of such persons as being competently gifted and tryed for the exercise of their charges shall bee ordained thereunto according to the rule of Gods Word by the imposition of the hands of a Presbytery according to these Scriptures Act. 6. 2 3 4 5 6. and 1 Tim. 3. 10. and chap. 4. 14. and 5. 21 22. Act. 14. 23. Sect. III. Of severall Congregations as they are or ought to bee associated THat there ought to bee an association of those Churches which professe to walke by the same rules is granted on all sides onely in the way to settle and maintaine this association and to determine emergent differences thereby the difficultie doth lie out if that wherein there is a full agreement were made use of for the increasing of love I am perswaded that the offences which occasion all our breaches might bee taken out of the way Therefore those termes of unitie which in this kind are undeniably consonant to the principles of Brotherly Communion and some others which upon some friendly conferences have been assented unto by some leading men of both sides shall here bee offered towards the manifestation of the grounds of this association in these Propositions following 1. The association of Churches should arise and bee entertained freely upon the ground and motive of Brotherly care onely and not by any ties of meere humane Authoritie This doth follow from the propertie of co-membership and the ends thereof mentioned 1 Cor. 12. 25. 2. That brotherly equalitie wherein Christ hath set every Congregation in respect of another is to be upheld by the association and not at all to bee diminished according to these Scriptures 1 Cor. 12. vers 13. till 25. and 1 Pet. 5. 5. Rom. 15. vers 1. till 8. 3. So far as the severall Churches do finde themselves obliged and for mutuall edification thinke it most expedient to entertaine their association either consultatively or judicially they ought to enter into it without prejudice and make use of the neerenesse whereunto God hath brought them to his glory and their mutuall comfort 4. Although every severall Congregation hath power within it self to administer all Christs Ordinances yet no Congregation may lawfully intend by the use of those Ordinances to stand and walk by it self as divided and separate from other Congregations professing the same Faith and obedience towards Christ The reason of this is cleer First from the commandements which enjoyne the studie of unitie amongst all Christians such as these Ephes 4. 3 4 5 6. and 1 Cor. 12. 12 13 14 15. 21. and 1 Cor. 1. 10 11 12 13. Secondly from the nature of divisions or intentions to division amongst Brethren which the Apostle doth condemne as the fruit of a carnall mind 1 Cor. 3. 3. Rom. 16. 17 18. Thirdly because this intention is contrary to the request of Christ in his prayer unto the Father where hee desires that all beleevers may bee made perfect in one John 17. 23. and if all beleevers then all Congregations of beleevers 5. If severall Congregations may not intend to stand as by themselves and walke as separate from one another in the administration of Christs Ordinances which they have received by a common rule and are to prefesse before the world in publick as one body in Christ then it will follow cleerly that it is farre lesse lawfull unto them in the prosecution of matters tending to mutuall edification in ordinary or in extraordinary and weighty matters of common and necessary concernment to stand and walke by themselves alone without a due respect unto their Brethren and some tie of association towards their neighbour Congregations So that I take this to bee an undeniable principle and maxime of Brotherly association in Churches That nothing which with conveniencie and to the benefit of the Gospel it selfe or to the edification of others therein can bee done unitedly and joyntly ought to bee done dividedly and separately For when Christ doth pray for a perfect union of all beleevers which may worke upon the world a beleef that the Father hath sent him I cannot Ioh. 17. 23. conceive that hee doth meane any thing lesse then such an association which may reach unto all the Acts of his worship and the visible administration of all duties and ordinances belonging to his Kingdome For nothing but such an union professedly maintained in his name is able to convince the world finally that hee is come from the Father Thus farre then or rather thus neer the Congregations ought to bee associated if it bee possible and that it is possible and will bee effected in due time is certaine because Christ hath prayed that it should bee for the manifestation of his name unto the world and the Father cannot deny him this request Hitherto I have insisted upon that which I conceive is or will bee assented unto by all upon the undeniable grounds of brotherly communion Now I shall offer the other Propositions which for a more particular accommodation of differences have been assented unto * See also the papers of the Divines of the Assembly given to the Committee for accommodation lâ—â—ely published Pag. 4 5 6 7 8 9 p. 29. 30 31. and elsewhere and are agreed upon by some leading men of both sides as followeth 6. All professors whether single or in a body are bound in conscience to give â—n account of their wayes to their Brethren or to any that shall require it of them and that not arbitrarily but as a dutie appointed by God to bee observed Mr. Burroughs Ireniâ—um pag. 43. 7. Concerning the admission of members which come from one Congregation into another to bee thereunto distinctly associated because this doth reflect commonly upon some particular interests of men wherein the rules of holy communion are not taken notice of therefore offences are frequently given and taken up in this matter which to prevent these agreements have been offered as a remedie thereunto 1 That no Congregation should bee gathered and made up of the Members of other setled Congregations
then some rules should bee thought upon debated and by common consent setled concerning three things First how needlesse disputes and multiplicitie of new controversies breaking forth in the Presse and Pulpit may be prevented Secondly how the injuriousnesse of censures and of proceeding which men of partiall dispositions and of high thoughts runne into may bee rectified when disputes are necessary And Thirdly how the secret mischief of suspicious whisperings and tale-bearing amongst Brethren may bee prevented and being discovered satisfactorily corrected And that some rules of righteousnesse may bee found in the Word to remedie these evills and may bee raised from the nature of Christian charitie equitie ingenuitie pietie discretion and prudencie I suppose none will deny who doth beleeve that the holy Scriptures with and by the spirit of God which is promised to the children of God are able to make the man of God perfect and throughly furnished unto every good word and worke Thus I have made out as briefly and as distinctly as this occasion seemeth to require the truth of the first and second assertion of this discourse namely that the Ministery of this kingdome is undeniably obliged in conscience to the mutuall profession of Brotherhood and that the termes of their unitie and forbearance are both in themselves full and satisfactory and may bee setled reciprocally amongst them in a plaine and easie way if the men that lead others were but willing to looke to God more then to men and to conscience more then to outward interests CHAP. XII The third Assertion Concerning the motions which should induce us to make profession of this unitie and forbearance Why these are requisite and what they are BUt now although these things are evidently thus demonstrable and by all that which hitherto hath been alledged it may be manifestly apparent that these who are the leaders of the flockes should not onely stand united and walk by one rule in that whereunto they have attained but also that their differences may and ought to bee composed in love by amiable meetings by orderly conferences and by the settlement of a necessary and lawfull forbearance of each other although I say all this is so yet wee see to the great dishonour of God the lamentable disadvantage of the truth and the extreame griefe of many godly soules that this hath not hitherto either beene done or effectually prosecuted and intended by thâ—se that are in the worke of the Ministery or if it hath been intended by some yet not so as it ought to have been that is upon the grounds which are proper unto their vocation What the causes of this neglect may bee wee shall not now particularly search into onely in generall wee may take notice that all such failings in dutie may proceed from two main causes either that men otherwise knowing and godly yet consider not the necessitie of this dutie in respect of the evills that follow upon the neglect thereof or that the excellencie commendablenesse and worth thereof is either not known or if not unknown yet not laid to heart Now then in this our present sad condition if any thing can be suggested which may be a helpe to remove these causes of our failing in this kind it may bee hoped that godly and conscionable men will bee more carefull of the performance and more fearefull of the neglect thereof then hitherto they have been Therefore it will not bee amisse but may bee of very great use to offer some motives and inducements to incline them without partialitie to these resolutions and this wee shall intend to doe if God permit CHAP. XIII Concerning the necessitie of Brotherly unitie in the Ministery IF then we should take into consideration the absolute necessitie of this dutie it will appeare that the present evills whereinto these Churches and the state of this kingdome are fallen and which threaten all with unavoydable ruine are mainely brought upon us through the neglect of that ministeriall unitie and correspondencie which is sutable unto Christianitie For whosoever in the feare of God shall lay to heart the wofull condition of the Churches of Christ in this land will perceive that amongst the manifold causes of our miserable breaches The cause ofâ— all our miseries and sinfull distractions the originall and consequently the greatest of all the rest is this That such as are called to bee the Ministers of the Gospel who by their owne confession are Brethren and fellow-labourers in the same imployment doe not maintaine those duties of Brotherly love fellowship and communion which by the nature of their work and by the appointment of their Lord and Master are made necessary for the manifestation of his glory and for their own mutuall edification For seeing by that which hath been hitherto shewed it must needs be acknowledged that they ought to stand together and looke upon each other as Brethren begotten of the same Father as fellow-souldiers in the same fight and warfare and as fellow-members in the same body of Christ Seeing I say this is confessed and cannot bee denied to bee so it will follow also undeniably that they ought in conscience to discharge the duties belonging to these relations which are not onely to professe a Brotherhood but to bee knit together in fervent love to have the same care one for another and joyntly to communicate in things belonging to the kingdome of Christ But that these duties notwithstanding all these relations are neither really thought upon nor at all prosecured to any purpose almost by any is no lesse undeniable and must needs although to our great shame be plainly and ingenuously confessed Seeing then the guilt of this their fault is so great and so apparent that no colour of excuse can bee pretended to extenuate it therefore the judgement is ripe for them and the punishment hath now in the sight of all the world most justly overtaken them For whereas they were lately in a capacitie to bee as happy within themselves and as profitable to the Kingdome of Christ abroad as any of all the Ministers on earth if they had continued in their unitie now they are like to bee more unsetled and more miserable within themselves and lesse respected by others and lesse usefull both at home and abroad towards the cause of Christ then any that are elsewhere in all the Churches this onely because they have suffered themselves in their profession to bee divided and have not regarded nor doe they yet regard the duties of their Christian Brotherhood The guilt of the Ministery so much as outward concernments For by this meanes they have corrupted the Covenant and are become partiall in the Law and caused many to stumble at the Law and therefore the Lord Mal. 2. 8 9. hath made them contemptible and caused all their adversaries to prevaile against them so that they have just cause to give glory unto him to lay their hands upon their mouths to be sensible of
amongst us and if there is any faithfulnesse and constancie to bee expected from those that professing Christianitie have entred into solemne protestations vowes and covenants to stand united according to the will of God for the advancement of a common-reformation and the settlement of our union therein if I say there bee any such thing as love to truth zeale for righteousnesse and faithfulnesse of Christian Covenants I may adjure such as pretend thereunto to shew themselves at this time therein for their owne and their Brethrens preservation that by the duties of Brotherly unitie in the holy profession they may bee found to keepe faith and a good conscience without blame For as it is not possible that the Faith once given to the Saints can bee maintained by any without a good conscience so the integritie of a good conscience cannot bee kept without observing the end of the holy Commandement which is the practise of love out of a pure heart Now this practise amongst Mininisters in their Ministeriall charges can bee none other but a conscionable concurrence of their spirits in that aime wherein the all relate unto Christ to strengthen one anothers hands in the works of his service For their unity and love to each other can have no truth but as it relates unto him nor can it relate otherwise unto him then by fulfilling his will in doing the works of his service and if this aime be lost in any let them pretend what they will their conscience is not sound their performance is not acceptable nor will their indeavours be for ever established hence it is that because many have left off to aime sincerely at this who either delight to stand wholly by themselves and give way to dividing principles and practises or thinke it more expedient to stand wholly associated but give way to the meanes of humane power to trust more thereunto then to the duties of Christian love and serviceablenesse therefore it is just with God to withdraw from such of both sides that walke in these wayes and from their undertakings the blessing of his presence So that by reason of the want of his strength to goe along and conduct to guide them all their hands are weakned nothing which is undertaken doth prosper the service of Christs house is not advanced the stewards thereof are either divided by themselves or scattered by others and generally they are as men without a heart afraid one of another and through these their breaches a whole deluge of damnable errors and a full current of all unrighteous wicked and scandalous practises hath overwhelmed and almost drowned the Churches so that the very floodgates of hell seeme to bee opened upon us and have covered us with the proud waves of all licenciousnesse And although it cannot bee denied but that it is just with God to suffer Satan thus farre to prevaile against all for the sinnes of all and to make this breach upon the Leaders for their A doubt answered concerning the office of the Ministery failing in the Ministery yet it is farre from mee to thinke as some doe that the promise of God is failed in this our age at if there were neither true Church nor Ministery any more amongst us or any where in this world but that the gates of hell having prevailed against the Church which Christ did once institute by his Apostles a new mission must be expected and a new foundation laid for the erecting of his kingdome I say God forbid that I should thinke so Yea let God bee true but every man a liar for I beleeve that heaven and earth shall passe Rom. 3. 4. Matth. 24. 3â— Matth. 16. 16 17 18 19. away but the word that is gone out of Christs mouth shall not passe away Now Christ upon a speciall occasion said distinctly unto his Disciples three things which are these 1 That his Church should bee built upon the rock of that truth whereof the Apostles made confession which was that Jesus was the Christ the sonne of the living God 2 That the gates of hell should not prevaile against that Church 3 And lastly That the keyes of the kingdome of heaven with authoritie to bind and loose on earth whatever should be bound and loosened in heaven shall be given to this Church These promises I beleeve to bee so sure that they shall never faile Therefore I must conclude that neither the foundation of the Church nor the Church which is builded thereupon nor the Ministeriall authoritie of the keyes given to that Church shall faile so long as this world doth last Forwhat although some doe not beleeve and are disobedient to the will of God shall their unbelief and disobedience make the faith and truth of God without effect God forbid yea all men are to bee found liars that God may bee found true for he hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all therefore in his sayings he shall be justifified and when he is judged overcome Wee must therefore acknowledge that by our unrighteousnesse the righteousnesse of God is to be commended and that although we of this Nation should utterly faile him and bee no more worthy to be counted his Church yet that he will never faile to doe what hee hath said unto the seed of Christ amongst men and never recall the word which hee hath spoken concerning his Church But Isa 59. 21. this we are bound to beleeve that wheresoever there is a societie of men beleeving with their heart and with their mouth making openly profession of this truth that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of the living God there is a Church existent and wheresoever a Church is existent there the authoritie of the keyes is not wanting because Christ hath said that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it I shall then confidently conclude from these premises two things first seeing there are societies of beleevers which are here existent and known to bee built upon that truth which is the foundation that therefore notwithstanding all these failings in particular duties whereof they are guiltie that yet Gods promise for the main will never be wanting to them as to his Church Secondly I may infer this also that notwithstanding all the advantages which Satan seemeth to have gotten both against the Ministery of this Church and against their administrations therein whereby hee doth blast them and the fruit of their labours yet wee may bee sure that he shall never prevaile so farre as to make void the priviledge of the Church which is to have a right to the keyes of the kingdome of heaven and thereby to the administration of all Christs Ordinances Now then although indeed it is very sad and lamentable that the Buildâ—rs themselves should be so far wanting to their dutie as by their divisions to give such an advantage unto Satan that hee should bee able visibly to pull down more then they are able to build up yet