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A57969 The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the Church of Scotland ... by Samuel Rutherfurd ... Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661. 1644 (1644) Wing R2378; ESTC R12822 687,464 804

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Christian in such a congregation or a beleeving woman is tied to preach and baptize and yet her pastor Archippus in that congregation is tied both to preach and baptize Secondly the Jews were to separate from B thaven and so are we Thirdly they were not to joyne with Idolaters in Idol-worship neither are we 2 Whereas it is said that it was not lawfull to separate from the Jewish Church because in it did sit the typicall high Priest and the Messiah was to be borne in it and because they were the onely Church on earth but now there be many particular Churches All this is a deception a non causi● pro causâ for separation from that Church was not forbidden for any typicall or ceremoniall reason not a shadow of reason can be given from the Word of God for this Because there can be no ceremoniall argument why there should be communion betwixt light and darknesse or any concord betwixt Christ and Belial or any comparting bètwixt the beleever and the infidell or any agreement of the temple of God with idols nor any reason typicall why Gods people should goe to Gilgal and to Bethaven or to be joyned with idols or why a David should sit with vaine persons or goe in to dissemblers or why he should offer the drinke offerings of these who hasten after a strange god or take up their names in his mouth This is then an unwritten tradition yea if Dagon had beene brought into the Temple as the Assy●ian altar of Damascus was set up in the holy place the people ●ught to have separated from Temple and Sacrifices both so lo●g as that abomination should stand in the holy place Nor can it be proved that communicating with the Church of Israel as a member thereof was typicall and necessary to make up visible membership as ceremoniall holinesse is for to adhere to the Church in a sound worship though the fellow-worshippers be scandalous is a morall duty commanded in the second Commandment as to forsake Church-assemblies is a morall breach of that Commandment and forbidden to Christians Hebr. 10. 25. who are under no Law of Ceremonies And it is an untruth that those who were legally cleane and not ceremonially polluted were members of the Jewish visible Church though otherwise they were most flagitious For to God they were no more his visible Israel then Sodome and Gomorrah Isaiah 1. 10. or the children of Ethiopia Amos 9. 7. and are condemned of God as sinning against the profession of their visible incorporation in the Israel of God Jerem. 7. 4 5 6 7. But shall we name and repute them brethren whom in conscience we know to be as ignorant and void of grace as any Pagan I answer That if they professe the truth though they walke inordinately yea and were excommunicated Paul willeth us to admonish th●m as brethren 2 Thes. 3. 15. and calleth all the visible Church of Corinth for he writeth to good and bad amongst whom were many partakers of the table of devils pleaders with their brethren before heathen deniers of the resurrection yea those to whom the Gospell was hidden 2 Cor. 4. brethren and Saints by calling But say our brethren to be cast out of the Iewish Church was to be cast out of the Common-wealth as to be a member of the Church and to be a member of the state is all one because the state of the Jewes and the Church of the Jews was all one and none is said to be cut off from the people but he was put to death Answ. Surely Esay 66. vers 5. these who are cast out by their brethren and excommunicated are not put to death but men who after they be cast out live till God comfort them and shame their enemies but he shall appeare for your joy Secondly that the state of Gods Israel and the Church be all one because the Jewish policie was ruled by the judiciall Law and the judiciall Law was no lesse divine then the Ceremoniall Law is to me a wonder For I conceive that they doe differ formally though those same men who were members of the state were members also of the Church but as I conceive not in one and the same formall reason first because I conceive that the State by order of nature is before the Church for when the Church was in a family state God called Abrahams family and by calling made it a Church Secondly the Kingdome of Israel and the house of Israel in covenant with God as Zion and Jerusalem are thus differenced That to be a State was common to the Nation of the Jewes with other Nations and is but a favour of providence but to be a Church is a favour of grace and implieth the Lords calling and chusing that Nation to be his owne people of his free grace Deut. 7. 7. and the Lords gracious revealing of his Testimonies to Jacob and Israel whereas he did not so to every Nation and State Psal. 147. 19 20. but say they The very state of the Iewes was divine and ruled by a divine and supernaturall policie as the judiciall Law demonstrateth to us But I answer Now you speake not of the state of the Jewes common with them to all States and Nations but you speake of such a state and policie which I grant was Divine but yet different from the Church because the Church as the Church is ruled by the morall Law and the Commandments of both Tables and also by the Ceremoniall Law but the Jewish State or Common wealth as such was ruled by the judiciall Law onely which respecteth onely the second Table and matters of mercy and justice and not piety and matters of Religion which concerne the first Table and this is a vast difference betwixt the state of the Jews and the Church Thirdly when Israel rejected Samuel and would have a King conforme to other Nations they sought that the state and forme of governmnent of the Common-wealth should be changed and affected conformity with the Nations in their state by introducing a Monarchy whereas they were ruled by Judges before but in so doing they changed not the frame of the Church nor the worship of God for they kept the Priesthood the whole Morall Ceremoniall and Judiciall Law entire and their profession therein Ergo they did nothing which can formally destroy the being of a visible Church but they did much change the face of the state and civill policie in that they refused God to reigne over them and so his care in raising up Judges and Saviours out of any Tribe and brought the government to a Monarchy where the Crowne by divine right was annexed to the tribe of Judah Fourthly it was possible that the State should remaine entire if they had a lawfull King sitting upon Davids throne and were ruled according to the Judiciall Law but if they should remaine without a Priest and a Law and follow after Baal and change and alter Gods worship as the ten
reckoneth out divers offices in this body Now this is not one Congregation onely but that one Body of Christ whereof Christ is head this is the Catholick Church 2. What power ministeriall our Brethren affirme to bee given to a Congregation they say it is given to them under the notion of a flock of redeemed ones of the Spouse and body of Christ as they cite for this act 20. 28. Col. 1. 18. Eph. 1. 22 and under the notion of the City of God the Kingdome house and building of Christ but so they come to our hand for this reduplication or notion of a flock of redeemed ones of the body and spouse of Christ of the City Kingdome House Building agree first to the Catholick Church as is clear Col. 1. 8. Eph. 5. 25 26. 1 Tim. 3. 15. Eph. 2. 19 20 21 22. and secondarily only to a Congregation as it is a part of this universall flock 3. The whole Catholick Church visible is made one ministeriall body Cant. 6. 4. beautifull as Tirzah comely as the City of Jerusalem terrible as an army with banners By reason of their order of discipline and is there called an organicall body having v. 6 7 8. Eyes Haire Teeth Temples Locks and haveing particular Churchs under her three score Queens fourescore concubines and virgins without number Yet is it sayd v. 9. My Dove my undesiled is but one she is the only one of her Mother Ainsworth who here may be more then a witnesse sayth this one Church is the daughter of Jerusalem who is above and the mother of us ●ll C●ton a witnesse not inferior saith on this place The true catholick Church of Christ is the Mother of all reformed Daughters and that argument that our Brethren useth to prove a particular Church to be visible because of externall communion not in one House for that is accidentall to visibility one congregation may meet in three caves of the Earth in time of persecution and yet remaine one congregation holdeth good in this catholick church made up of so many organs as a congregation is formed 1. Begetting by the Ministery of the word daughter-Churches to God as they say a congregation doth nor is it enough to say Ierusalem is not one by externall government and order of Discipline because they cannot meet together to exercise Discipline but shee is one invisibly because shee hath one Faith one Lord one Baptisme one Spirit one Hope of glory For the Text sayth they have one and the same Organs Teeth Eyes Haire Temples Locks they are one Ierusalem and compact City one Army terrible by the Sword of of discipline 2. We do not say to make them one visible church that they must have one visible actuall government in externall order for when of a congregation of 60. their be 30 absent through sicknesse and the busines of a lawfull calling they are one Church visible though in one metting you cannot see them all with one cast of your Eye and when the church of Ierusalem exceeding in number ten thousand did meet in part from House to House that is in sundry Houses yet continuing in the same doctrine of the Apostles and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayer Acts 2. 46. 32. our brethren will say they are one church And therefore the power of Discipline and the exercise of the Word Seales and Discipline in parts is sufficient to make one visible catholick Church 4. To that Church hath Christ given as to the first church the ordinances and ministery which he principally intendeth to perfit to gather and to bring to the unity of faith in a perfit body by these ordinances and that Ministery because the wisdome of Christ hath not given his Ministery and Ordinances to the catholick Church intending principally to save them except he give them a power in that Ministery to the first subject which being put forth in acts may compasse that end But Jesus Christ principally intends to perfit to gather to bring to the unity of faith in a perfit body by these ordinances and Ministery the whole catholick visible church and secondarily only this or this particular congregation Ergo Christ hath given to the whole catholick Church as to the first Church the ordinances and Ministery and so in this Mioistery catholick hee ha h given the Keys to this catholick Church visible as to the first Church 5. I prove it thus when ever Chrst giveth gifts to a whole he giveth it to the whole by order of nature before he give it to the parts of that whole as is cleare by induction He gives Christ a gift to the whole Church by order of nature first to the World Joh. 3. 16. Then to this or this believer of the World So he giveth redemption and grace by order of nature first to his Church in generall Eph. 5. 25. Christ dieth first for his Church not this or that single company or particular person first for His sheep that is the whole flock Joh. 10. v. 11. then for this or this company or this of this straying sheep He came to seeke and save first the lost Luk. 19. 10. then this or this lost man He died first to gather together in one not one man onely yee not the nation of the Iewes onely but to gather together in one all the Children of God which were scattered abroad Ioh. 11. 25. and he is a propitiatiou by order of nature First for the sinnes of the whole World 1 Ioh. 2. 1. and then secondarily for our sinnes so hath hee given the gifts of Apostles Prophets and Teachers first to and for Saints in common and in generall and not for this and that Saint or for this company of Saints at Ephesus Now that particular Congregations are parts of the great visible Church I prove and first that they are parts visible of a Presbytery or a circuit of Congregations within the locall bounds of a Presbytery I make good thus Those who have one common necessary object of externall government in Church-affairs those are a whole visible community gifted with power from Christ to rule in that common and necessary object of government and this and this portion of this whole community must be parts of that whole But those Congregations within the locall bounds of the circuit of a Presbytery have one common necessary object of externall government in Church affaires Ergo those Congregations in such a circuit must be parts of this whole The major I take from our Brethren who therefore make a particular Congreation to be one in respect of ordinary meeting to partake of word seales and to transect matters of jurisdiction amongst themselves but this agreeth to many congregations within one circuit for they meet occasionally one with another in hearing the word and receiving the seales and for the assumption I prove it thus all those congregations have these particulars of externall government in Church affaires which they cannot