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A39224
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Communion of churches, or, The divine management of gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils constituted in order according to the Scriptures as also the way of bringing all Christian parishes to be particular Reforming Congregationall Churches, humbly proposed as ... a means of uniting those two holy and eminent parties the Presbyterians and the Congregationals ... / written by John Eliot.
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Eliot, John, 1604-1690.
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1665
(1665)
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Wing E508; ESTC R24949
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30,563
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42
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say not in any â—…â—…cal Power but in Order and Extent then it doth not yet appear that there is any way or expedient whereby there should be a General and Equal Communion of all the Churches in a Nation wherein every Church shall be by their own act and consent interessed and concerned Much less can there be aâ—… Equal Communion of Churches of several Nations For if several Nations should need and desire to hold Communion of Councils who shall chuse the Persons or Instruments by whom this Communion shall be held and acted If Princes chuse them it is not a regular Ecclesiastical Council If Churches chuse and send them shall some Churches onely chuse them or all the Churches â—…f some onely who and why they and not others and how can their act interest and oblige all If all the Churches must chuse then Immediately or â—… Delegates Immediately it is unfeizible especially to act in knowledge and prudence but mediately by their Confidents and Representatives they may The same may be said of the Communion of all the Churches in a Nation or Province where Elections must â—…e performed by Representatives In which way a General and Equal Election is attainable and without it it doth not yet appear that it is attainable Now that several Nations ought to hold Communion and also all the Churches in a Nation it doth appear in these Scriptures Isa. 19. 23 24 25. Zeph. 3. 9. 1 Cor. 11. 1â—… 14. 32 36. Of which see more in Synod at Boston This being commanded by God and as yet no Way or Expedient appearing whereby it may be duely acted we are at a great loss Therefore the Lord opening this way which is so attainable and not without Scripture Light What iâ—… the Churches should set upon the Tryall of it and see how the Lord may appear unto his Servants therein As for the Episcopal Way of Government Alas that is most remote from this Ordinance of Communion of Churches CHAP. III. Of the Constitution of Four Orders of Councils I. WHen Twelve Churches or any other Number under Twenty â—…our shall agree to hold Communion in a Council for Mutual Help and shall send forth Messengers at least two from every Church and they of both Orders of Elders or in defect of Ruling Elders Brethren eminent in Piety and Wisdome who are as Elders to manage the Ordinance of Counsel in the behalf and for the benefit of all the Churches herein combined These do constitute the first Order of a compleat Council the first Ascent of the glorious Temple the first Row in compacting the New Ierusalem These are the Twenty four Elders before the Lord representing all the Congregations which sent them It is both needful and attainable that these Councils should meet once every Moneth II. When Twelve of the first Order of Councils or any other Number under Twenty four shall with the express consent of all their particular Churches agree to hold Communion in a Council for Mutual Help and for the benefit of all the Churches combined and to that end shall send forth from among themselves at least one principal and eminent Teaching Elder and one Ruling Elder to manage the Ordinance of Counsel in a Provincial Synod in the behalf and for the benefit of all the Churches herein combined These do constitute the second Order of Councils These are a Provincial Council these do represent very many Churches and all the people in them with their express consent and yet they are but Twenty four Elders so denominated by their least and constituting Number though the Numbers represented be very great according to Rev. 5. 8 9 c. These all are Church-Messengers sent forth to manage the Ordinance of Counsel though immediately sent forth by the first Councils with the express consent of all the Churches combined These are the second Row of Churches compacted by the Number Twelve the second Row of 〈◊〉 in the Temple of equal dimensions to the first and built upon the first standing upon the same bottom and foundation the Twelve Apostles It is both needfull and attainable that these should meet quarterly III. When Twelve Provincial Councils or any other number under Twenty four shall with the explicite consent of the first Councils and with the explicite consent of the Churches who are in this Combination agree to hold Communion in a Council for Mutual Help and to that end shall send forth from among themselves at least one principal Teaching Elder and one Ruling Elder both eminent in holiness wisdome and all fitting abilities to manage the Ordinance of Counsel in a National Synod in the behalf and for the benefit of all the Provinces first Councils and particular Churches herein combined These do constitute a Third Order of Councils These are a National Council these do represent a whole Nation of Churches and all the people of the Land and yet they are but Twenty four Elders as Rev. 5 1â—… 13 14. though all Creatures concurre and are combined in the work all are represented before the Lord in Twenty four Elders These are all of them Church-Messengers sent forth to manage the Ordinance of Counsel but they are immediately sent forth by the Proviâ—…iall Councils IV. As the first Councils consist of the most choyce persons in all the Churches so the Provincial Councils do consist of the most choyce Instruments in the respective Provinces and the National Council doth consist of the most choyce persons in all the Nation who pass through so many Ecclesiastical Elections before they arrive unto this high and â—…oly Service They pass under an opportunity of being called out from among all the Choyce Iewels of the Nation who are in â—…n Ecclesiastical Order and Capacity It will be both needful and attainable that these should meet once in a Year V. When Twelve National Councils or any Number under Twenty four shall agree with the explicite consent of all the Churches passing and arising through all the Orders of Councils to hold Communion in Councils for Mutual Help and to that end shall send Forth at least one Teaching and one Ruling Elder men eminent in Holiness and Abilities for so high a service to constitute an Oecumenical Council and there to manage the Ordinance of Counsel in the behalf and for the benefit of all the Churches and Councils herein combined These do constitute a Fourth Order of Councils They are an Oecumenical Council and represent all the Churches in those Nations before the Lord VI. Twenty three Nations met in one Council will be a great glory to Christ and by what hath yet been in the world may be called Oecumenical Yet when the Kingdomes of this world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ I know not but there will be Councils above this Nay why may there not be Twelve Ascents in combining all the World Rev. 21. 16 17. But I leave it to the Lord. At present this is the top and uppermost
Communion of Churches OR The Divine Management of Gospel-Churches by the Ordinance of COUNCILS Constituted in Order according to the SCRIPTURES AS ALSO The Way of bringing all Christian Parishes to be particular Reforming Congregationall Churches Humbly Proposed As a Way which hath so much Light from the Scriptures of Truth as that it may lawfully be Submitted unto by all and may by the blessing of the Lord be a Means of Uniting those two Holy and Eminent PARTIES The Presbyterians and the Congregationals AS ALSO To Prepare for the hoped-for Resurrection of the Churches and to Propose a way to bring all Christian Nations unto an Unity of the Faith and Order of the Gospel Written by Iohn Eliot Teacher of Roxbury in N. E. Psal. 1. â—…0 That ye may try the things that are excellent 1 John 4 1. Try the Spirits Cambridge Printed by Marmaduke Iohnson 1665. PREFACE ALthough a few Copies of this small Script are Printed yet it is not published onely committed privately to some Godly and Able hands to be Viewed Corrected Amended or Rejected as it shall be found to hold wright in the Sanctuary Ballance or not And it is the humble Request of the Author That whatever Objections Rectification or Emendatiâ—…ns may occurreâ—… they may be conveyed unto him who desireth nothing may be accepted in the Churches but what is according to the Will and Minde of God and tendeth to Holiness Peace and Promotion of the holy Kingdome of Iesus Christ. The procuring of half so many Copies Written and Corrected would be more difficult and chargeable then the Printing of these few I beg the Prayers as well as the Pains of the precioâ—…s Servants of the Lord that I may never have the least singer in doing any thing that may be derogatory to the Holiness and Honour of Iesus Christ and his Churches And to this I subscribe my self One of the least of the Labourers in our Lords Vineyard JOHN ELIOT Communion of Churches OR The divine Management of Gospel-Churches BY THE Ordinance of Councils CHAP. I. Prolegomena or Things premised I. THere be two holy Publick Societies famous in the Gospel 1. A Church of Believers 2. A Council of Churches A Church of Believers is a company of visible Sainte combined together with one heart to hold Communion in all the instituted Gospel-worship Ordinances and Discipline which Christ hath sitted for and given unto a particular Church Such a Company are frequently called A Church See a few places Acts 2. 47 11. 26. 14. 23 27. 1 Cor. 11. 18 20 22 c. A Council is a Society of particular Churches in Communion by their Representatives for their well-being and well-ordering all things among them by mutual Counsel in Truth Peace and Holiness Our Pattern is that Great Council Acts 15. which consisted of two Churches in an ordinary way expresly agreed to give and take counsel and it is leâ—… as a Standard and Pattern â—…ow the great Ordinance of Counsel is to be used and managed for the well-being of Churches to the worlds end II. The Constitution of both these Buildings or Societies are eminent and observable in the Gospel The first of these viz. A Church of Believers is first instituted by Christ himself and afterward put in practice by the Apostles Matth. 16. 18. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church The Rock confessed is CHRIST Christ Confessëd is the Foundation of the Visible Church Peter confessing is an hewn stone squared to the foundation a Believer made Ecclesiastically visible sitted for Church-building and fellowship A company of such Confessors or a company of these confessing Believers 1. Have power to joyn together into a Gospel Church-state as they did Acts 1. 13 14. Continued with one accord so Acts 2. 46. 2. They have power to call Officers by whom they become an Organick Body and sitted to administer and enjoy all instituted Worship Acts 1. 15 23. Peter stood up in the midst of the Disciples And they appointed two Acts 6. 3. Brethren look you out men Acts 14. 23. By bolding up bands made Elders 3. By the Ministry of these Officers the Church doth actually enjoy such Ordinances as are instituted by Christ for their Edisication Both Directive in Word Sacraments Prayer Singing of Psalms and Collections Acts 2. 42. They continuâ—…ct stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and sellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers Col. 3. 16. Teaching one another in Psalms and Hymns c. â—…1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Every first day lay by it self c. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Neuter Gender as well as Masculine and is so to be read because they had two distinct Collections â—…t that time The Collection for Ierusalem was by it self a publick not a private Collection Corrective 1 Cor. â—…5 425. When gathered together deliver to Saâ—… III The administration of and participation in all these Ordiâ—…ances while we are in this flesh and state militant are in full of variety of difficulties and temptations especially where Churches are numerous that the work cannot long be carried on a while it sometimes may viz. while the Churches are under the eye of an adversary and when there be Elders eminent in Piety Humility and Ability without stated help The help which the Lord hath instituted is Counsel When Antiech had trouble in some points of Doctrine the Remedy which the holy Ghost applied was Counsel given them by a formall Council Acts 15. When Corinth wanted help in a point of Discipline the Apostle doth help by ministring Counsel unto them 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5. and he counselleth the Church to Excommunicate the man the sinner Excommunication is a sharp Rod made up of seven most severe and terrible Twigs or a strong Purgation compounded of seven violent Ingredients viz. 1. He is cut off from visible Communion with Christ in the Church 2. He is cut off from familiar Communion with the Saints in Worship 3. He is cast out of the usual walk of the Spirit 4. He is cast out of the House of God as unsavoury Salt or a loathsome thing that doth offend 5. He is thrust out of the Paradise of God from eating the Tree of Life viz. Christ in the Sacrament of the Supper where the Spirit sitteth as in his Sealing-office 6. He is cut off from familiar Civil Communion with the Saints he may not be invited to eat with them 7. He is delivered to Satan and that by the Sentence of Christ through the hand of his Spouse the Church and all this to be inflicted upon a Brother Ah! who trembles not to minister such a Pill to lay on such a Rod And therefore it had need to be managed and administred with all care fear and clearness And all this sheweth and much more might be produced to shew what need there is of Counsel which after thirty or forty years experience in the way of Congregational Churches in fulness of