shall be privately admonished according to the order prescribed by Christ Mat. 18. once or twice to see if they will reform and that the Minister when hee catechizeth the several families shall exhort such persons in them as hee findes to be of a competent knowledg and are blamelesse in life that they present themselves to the Eldership that they may be admitted to the Lords Supper 5. That if they will neither hearken to private admonition nor admonition of the Eldership their names shall be published openly in the several Congregations and they warned before all to reform 6. That if after all this they shall continue obstinate they shall be cast out and excommunicated These things this Classe thought fit to give publick notice of being very sensible that for the want of the vigorous exercise of Church discipline ignorance Atheism and licentiousnesse grows upon us to the great dishonor of God scandal of Religion the hazzard and undoing of many pretious souls and the laying a blot on several Congregations and therefore they are resolved seeing themselves necessitated to this severity of discipline for the freeing themselves from the great guilt of neglect of their own duty that otherwise they shall be under to make use of that power that Christ hath committed to them for edification and not for destruction although it would be their farr greater joy that there might not be occasion of using sharpnesse and therefore they do earnestly in the bowels of Jesus Christ beseech all those that are ignorant that they would apply themselves diligently to the use of all publick and private means for their information submitting themselves with all readinesse to be instructed and to consider that without knowledg the minde cannot be good and they do also in the name of Jesus Christ exhort and warn all such as live scandalously and in the practice of open sins that they break off their iniquities by repentance and turn unto God speedily with their whole heart that they neither incurr the censure of being cast out of the Church here nor by continuing in their sinfull course be kept for ever entering into the kingdome of Heaven hereafter And touching such as turn their backs of the Lords Supper constantly this Classe doth wish them seriously to consider what an account they will be able to give unto Jesus Christ for their living in the dayly neglect of an ordinance that is so exceeding necessary for their own comfort and growth in grace and that they would lay aside all prejudice whatever it is that hinders and submit themselves unto wholesom doctrine for their own good as this Classe hath been ready on their part to expresse all tendernesse toward the weak and a willingnesse to condescend to the meanest for the removing all occasions of stumbling so farr as lies in their power And yet considering the fearfull danger that all such do lay themselves open unto that shall eat and drink the Body and Blood of the Lord unworthily they do warn whosoever comes to the Lords Table to take special care so often as they come to examine themselves lest they eat and drink their own damnation But because the exercise of Church discipline must begin at private persons and that if they neglect their duty of watching over and admonishing one another and bringing complaints to the Eldership as there is occasion little or nothing can be done for the thorow reformation of the several Congregations this Classe doth therefore warn all and every of the members belonging unto them to consider the great guilt they will lye under if they through their neglect obstruct so needfull and necessary a work and doth expect therefore in all faithfulnesse laying aside all partiality slavishnesse and self-respects they should addresse themselves to the discharge of their duties that if any walk disorderly and will not be reclaimed by private admonition they making complaint thereof to the Eldership course may be taken for excommunicating of the obstinate and thereby purging out the old leven to the glory of God the delivering their own souls from that guilt they will otherwise lye under the preserving the Ordinances from prophanation and the rest of the lump from being levened the stopping of the mouthes of such as seek occasion against us and finally the everlasting welfare and salvation of the souls of those that go astray By the Provincial Assembly at Preston Octob. 6. 1657. RICHARD HEYRICKE Moderator pro tempore This Presentation is approved by the Provincial Assembly THOMAS JOHNSON Moderator EDWARD GEE Scribe To the Eldership of the severall congregations belonging to the Association of the First Classe at Manchester within the Province of Lancaster These Give us leave to salute you in your own Terms VVE have seen and seriously weighed that paper draught Intituled A presentation of the first Classe at Manchester dated the 8. of Sept. 1657. confirmed by the Provincial Assembly at Preston Octob. 6. and published at Manchester Church the 22. of Nov. in the aforesaid year and do publish this our sense and Apprehension of it as far as is plain to us not resting in the Judgement and determination of any General Council contrary thereunto if any such should be much less to one of your Provincial Assemblies Though you seem to submit to your Provincial what you will hardly grant to a General Council In which we dissent from you Though in other things we shall joyn as first 1. We joyn with you in a deep sense of the severall gross sins and errours of the times desiring earnestly to mourn first for our own next for the sins of others of our Christian Brethren and fellow members of that Church whereof Christ is the Head We are grieved together with you for the Scandalous and offensive lives of such as live in drunkeness uncleaness swearing prophanation of the Sabbath c. 2. We are also sensible with you that there are sundry persons grossely ignorant in the main points of Christian Religion 3. You with us again we hope are sensible and grieved though you do not at all mention them for the gross errours in judgement and the damnable Doctrine of many who have rent themselves into as many severall heresies as they have into Sects and Schismes Thus far we agree nay more touching the way of informing the ignorant and reforming the wicked and erroneous we shall not much dissent 1. And first for the information and instruction of the ignorant by way of Catechizing before they be admitted to the Sacrament The course by you published provided it be in publique little differeth from the order prescribed by the Church of England and other reformed Churches abroad before any be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords supper 2. For those who erre so grossely whether in Doctrinals or points of discipline thereby renting from a true constituted Church Though you speak nothing either of their sin or punishment yet we hope you with us do hold That the
Lord it over Gods inheritance whereas indeed their little fingers are heavier then the Prelates loins though they tell us their way is a friendly meek and social way we find it not they make us onely as Publicans and Heathens it should seem that all that they intended in the change of Church-Government was onely to slice the Diocesan into Parochiall Bishops and with him in Lucian To cut out the old useless Moons into fine new Stars every one of which claim the same influence and dominion over the people which the Prelates did 'T is a trouble to us to hear them inveigh against Hereticks and Schismaticks against the Novatian and Donatists of old when they walk in their steps maintaine their principles and espouse their quarrels We are told by the Church Historians That the doctrine against mixt-communion was a brat begotten by Novatus nurst up by Lucifer and Audius but it grew not till Donatus became its foster-Father then indeed it flourisht and spread amain till St. Austin by his judicious and clear opposition did banish it that and the subsequent Ages the Anabaptists of the last age called it back into Germany Quod aruit in se refloruit in illis they grafted upon the old stock and wanted nothing of the Donatists but to be called so Now amongst other of their dangerous and erroneous principles Bullinger notes this for one of the chief De doctrinâ caenae scrupulose quaerunt Anabaptistae quorum causâ caena dominica sit instituta They were nice and scrupulous and inquisitive concerning the Lords Supper conluding it was only to be given to the Saints and concluding the Saints to their own folds This is the direct practise of the Scottish and English Presbytery because the Parliament formerly and now his Highness in their wisdom and prudence have so blunted the edge of their secular power that they cannot hurt us with that they fly to their religious shifts and what David said of Goliah's sword surely they say of the holy Sacrament There 's none like unto that no engine so likely to teach us obedience and to give them the soveraignty as that They impale the supper of Christ to their own inclosures and as absolute Judges of all communicants keep back all persons that have not their Shiboleth ready that will not fall down and worship that Idol which they have set up The Aegyptians were hard Taskmasters to expect the children of Israel should make Bricks and make straw too to require the same number of bricks without materials to make them of this is something like the severity of our new Masters they censure for not doing that which they render to us impossible If we come not to the Lords Supper we must be excommunicate and they will not permit us to come because we are ignorant or scandalous or prophane and 't is proof enough we are so because we are too stout to fall down and worship their imaginations T is a trouble to us that men who impropriate to themselves the name of Saints and would have the world to think them the onely Christians should be so far from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that meekness and sweetnesse of the Gospel that they are still of the old legall spirit to eradicate and destroy all that are not of their way Instead of sweetning and indearing the spirits of men that they may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved they irritate and imbitter them by their two bold judging in private and by their fierce and severe censures in publick as if indeed it were their work to deliver them up unto Satan These things have forc'd us contrary to our own dispositions and inclinations to appear in publick nor only for our own vindication but in defence of Ecclesiastical and civil constitutions well hoping that these mean indeavours will encourage some worthy and learned Champions to take up Arms for the defence of that cause which we love what we have done quale quale sit what ever it be inasmuch as in the sincerity of our hearts we profess 't is done sine ullo studio contentionis without any pleasure or delight in contention but onely for the love of truth we hope our good God will give it a more gracious success and good men will give it a more charitable reception Errata sic Corrigenda PAge 81. line 25. for whereas read whereat p. 82 l. 2 these r. those p. 83 l. 10 Answer as it is to r. Answer it is to be ibid. l. 16 pray r. pay p. 84 l. 32 See r. So. p. 85 l. unaninous r. unanimous p. 87 l. 24 referring r. restoring p. 88 l. 13. examination r. excommunication Ih the Preface p. 3. l. 30. for I r. In. At the first Classe at Manchester Septem 8th 1657. IN pursuance of an Order of the last Provincial the first Classe doth humbly represent to this Assembly their apprehensions in the case to them propounded in a draught prepared for the several Congregations belonging to their own Association if it shall be approved of by this Assembly and which they do wholely submit to their Judgments It being represented to this Classe and much complained of and offence being taken That in the several Congregations if not all belonging to the Association there are many persons of all sorts that are members of Congregations and publickly enjoy several priviledges as the hearing of the Word prayers of the Church and baptizing of their children and satisfaction for injuries done unto them That yet live in a total and sinfull neglect of the Lords Supper that are scandalous and offensive in their lives drunkards unclean persons swearers Sabbath-breakers neglecters of Family-duties that will not subject themselves to the present government of the Church but live as lawless persons out of their rank and order and there are sundry that are grosly ignorant in the main points of Christian Religion These are to give notice that this Classe laying these things to heart and much grieved for them do publish and make known 1. That every Minister belonging to this Association shall set apart one or two dayes or more of the week dayes in every moneth for the catechizing of the several families belonging to their respective Congregations and for the information of the ignorant in those families and that the families to be catechized on each of such dayes set apart for that purpose have notice the Lords day before to meet the Ministers either at the Church or Chappel or the Ministers house or some other house within the Congregation that may be convenient for the neighboring families to meet at that shall be appointed for such a day as may be judged meetest by the several Ministers 2. That notice shall be taken of all persons that forsake the publick Assemblies of the Saints and constantly turn their backs of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 3. That like notice shall be taken of all scandalous persons 4. That they
Churches lawfull Pastors have the power of the Keys committed to them to excommunicate such offenders 3. For such as are scandalous and wicked in their lives Admonition private and publique is to be observed according to Christs rule Mat. 18. but if they still continue and will not reform the Churches lawfull Pastors have power to excommunicate such Thus far we accord in judgement touching the way of informing the ignorant and reforming wicked persons and schismatical which course is so fully warranted by the Word of God and the constant practise of the Catholique Church that we are not so wavering and unsetled in our apprehensions of the case as to submit either it or them either wholly or in part to the contrary judgement and determination of a General Council of the Eastern or Western Churches much less to a new termed Provincial Assembly at Preston wherein we no little differ from you Other parts of your Paper are full of darkness to which we cannot so fully assent till further explicated and unfolded by you For 1. Whereas you say That in the several congregations if not in all belonging to this Association there are many persons of all sorts that are members of congregations c. you seem to hint that though your grief may be general as ours for all offenders yet your censures extend onely to those who have admitted themselves members of some Congregation within your Association and yet live inordinately and will not be admonished If so then we who never were any members or associates of yours are not within the verge and compass of your Presbyterian discipline for what have you to do to judge those that are without 2. But whereas your complaint and offence taken is That many there are of all sorts who will not submit themselves to the present Government of the Church but live like lawless persons out of their rank and order If by the present Government of the Church you mean your own as may strongly be conjectured you do then are we also comprehended therein and must fall within your censure and not onely we but all Papists Anabaptists and all other of what Profession and Religion soever who live within the Parish must be taken for members of some one Congregation within your Association and so driven into the common fold of Presbytery and be subject to your Government And this as we suppose is the cheif design of you in this as in other transactions of yours to subject all to your Government which you garnish over with the specious title of Christs Government Throne and Scepter Presbytery is the main thing driven at here and however she cometh ushered in with a Godly pretence of sorrow for the sins and ignorance of the times and a duty incumbent upon you to exercise the power which Christ hath committed to you for edification and not for destruction yet these are but as so many waste papers wherein Presbyterie is wrapped to make it look more handsomely and pass more currently but beware we must for latet anguis in Herbâ Object But you say For want of the vigorous exercise of this Ecclesiastical discipline ignorance Atheism and Licentiousness grows upon us and men live as lawlesse persons out of their rank and order because not subject to your present Government Sol. We pray for the establishment of such Church Government throughout his Highness Dominions as is consonant to the will of God and Universall practice of primitive Churches that Ecclesiasticall discipline may be exercised in the hands of them to whom it was committed by Christ and left by him to be transferred from hand to hand to the end of the World and shall readily joyn with you in humble addresses to his Highness and his great Council for the establishment of such a Church Government In the mean time though there may be such who as you say live as lawless persons out of their rank and order yet are they subject to law and therefore subject to punishment for though your Ecclesiastical sword cannot take hold on them the civill sword doth reach them Your Class may do well then not to contemn as in charity we hope you do not the authority of the civill Magistrate but in stead of warning all and every member belonging to them to complain to the Eldership of those that walk disorderly and will not be reclaimed to the end they may excommunicate them That they exhort them to complain to the civill Magistrate whose sword of Justice is sharper and longer and likely to work a greater reformation in the lives and manners of men by a corporal and pecuniary Mulct then any sword of excommunication or other Church censure your Eldership can any way pretend unto There are other parts of your paper do remain likewise dark which we desire may be made plain unto us for whereas you say There are many persons of all sorts c. That will not submit themselves to the present Government of the Church but live as lawless persons out of their rank and order Our Quaeres thereupon are 1. Why Government in singulari is there no Ecclesiasticall Government but yours may not another Church have its Government different from yours yet not different from that which Christ hath prescribed in his Word Calvin saith yea Scimus enim unicuique Ecclesiae c. And accordingly there are other Churches in England different in Government from yours and as good as yours But if you say yours is the Government 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of eminency as Christs own Government more immediatly and jure divino which you so much defend then why the present is there no present Government in any Church or Assembly of Saints but where your discipline is erected Are all the rest at present without Government or where hath yours been this 1500. years past till this present Hath Antichristianism so overspread the face of the Church that Christs own Government could never get footing till this present But now subjection is required thereto of all yet many of all sorts will not subject but live as lawless persons out of their rank and order Our next Quaere is What must all those that observe not your ranks and orders subject not themselves to your present Government be taken for lawless persons out of their rank and order Yea for so this close connexion of yours seems to import viz. many who do not subject but live c. In your paper you further proceed and make it an order That notice shall be taken of all persons that forsake the publick assembly of Saints We would gladly know how far you extend this Saintship this Church and assembly of Saints if to your own Church onely and such as subject themselves to your Government then S. Augustines Answer against the Donatists who would not acknowledg a Church in the World but amongst themselves may also be yours O Impudentem Vocem saith he Illa non est Quia
as is consonant to the will of God and universall practice of primitive Churches c. In that you do here joyn the will of God and the universal practise of primitive Churches together as you joyned the Word of God and the constant practise of the Catholique Church before you seem to us to make up the rule whereby we must judge what Government it is that you pray might be established of these two viz. the will of God and the universal practise of primitive Churches Or that it is the universal practise of primitive Churches That must be our sure guide and comment upon the Word of God to tell us what is his will revealed these touching Church Government and discipline If this be your sense as we apprehend it is we must needs profess that herein we greatly differ from you as not conceiving it to be sound and orthodoxe It being the Word of God alone and the approved practise of the Church recorded there whether it was the universall and constant practise of the Church or no that is to be the onely rule to judge by in this or any other controversies in matters of Religion But yet admitting for the present the rule you seem to make we should desire to know from you what that Church Government is which is so consonant to the will of God and universall practise of primitive Churches For our own parts we think it will be very hard for you or any others to demonstrate out of any Records of Antiquity what was the universall practise of primitive Churches for the whole space of the first 300. years after Christ or the greatest part thereof excepting so much as is left upon record in the Scriptures of the new Testament the Monuments of Antiquity that concerne those times for the greatest part of them being both imperfect and far from shewing us what was the universall practise of the Church then though the practises of some Churches may be mentioned and likewise very questionable At least it will not be easie to assure us that some of those that go under the names of the most approved Authors of those times are neither spurious nor corrupted And hereupon it will unavoidably follow that we shall be left very doubtfull what Government it is that is most consonant to the universall and constant practise of primitive Churches for that time But as touching the rule it self which you seem here to lay down we cannot close with it We do much honour and reverence the primitive Churches But yet we believe we owe more reverence to the Scriptures then to judge them either imperfect or not to have light enough in themselves for the resolving all doubts touching matters of faith or practise except it be first resolved what was either the concurrent interpretation of the Fathers or the universall and constant practise of the Churches of those times Besides that admitting this for a rule that the universall and constant practise of the primitive Churches must be that which must assure us what is the will of God revealed in Scripture concerning the Government which he hath appointed in the Church our faith is hereupon resolved into a most uncertain ground and so made fallible and turned into opinion For what monuments of Antiquity besides the Scripture can assure us touching the matters of fact therein contained that they were such indeed as they are there reported to be the Authors of them themselves being men that were not infallibly guided by the Spirit But yet supposing we could be infallibly assured which yet never can be what was the universall and constant practise of the primitive Churches how shall that be a rule to assure us what is most consonant to the will of God When as we see not especially in such matters as are not absolutely necessary to salvation Even as a Generall Councill it self is subject to errrour but that the universall practise of the Churches might in some things be dissonant to the will of God revealed in Scriptures And so the universall practise of primitive Churches can be no certain rule to judge by what Church Government is most consonant to the will of God revealed in his Word We know there are corruptions in the best of men There was such hot contention betwixt Paul and Barnabas Gal. 2. as caused them to part asunder Peter so failed in his practise as that though before some came from James he did eat with the Gentils yet when they were come he withdrew himself fearing them of the Circumcision And hereupon not only other Jews dissembled with him but Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation Whence it 's clear that the examples of the best men even in those things wherein they went contrary to the rule of Gods Word are of a spreading nature and the better the Persons that give the bad example are the greater the danger of the more universall leavening Nay we finde that not only some few Apostolicall men had their failings but even Apostolicall primitive Churches did in the very face of the Apostles they being yet alive make great defection both in regard of opinions and practises As from the examples of the Churches of Corinth Galatia and the Churches of Asia is manifest The Apostle also tels us that even in his time the mystery of iniquity began to work And in after times we know how the Doctrine was corrupted what gross superstition crept into the Church what domination was striven for amongst the Pastors and Bishops of the Churches Till at length Antichrist was got up into his seat unto which height yet he came not all at once but by steps and degrees Besides it is of fresh remembrance that notwithstanding the reformation happily brought about in our own Church in regard of Doctrine and worship after those dismall Marian times yet the corruption in regard of Government continued such during the time of the late Prelacy which yet was taken away in other reformed Churches that the Pastors were deprived of that power of rule that our Church acknowledgeth did belong to them of right and which did anciently belong to them however the exercise thereof did after grow into a long disuse as hath been shewed before And therefore when we consider on the one hand that the superiority which the Bishop obtained at the first above the Presbyter in the ancient Church and which was rather obtained consuetudine Ecclesiae then by Divine right did at the length grow to that height that the Pastors were spoiled of all power of rule so we cannot much wonder on the other hand that the ruling Elder was quite turned out of doors For the proof of the being and exercise of whose office in the purer times there are notwithstanding produced testimonies of the ancients by Divines both at home and abroad that have written about that subject and to which we do therein refer you As there do remain some footsteps and shadow of
their office in the Church-wardens and Sides-men even to this day And so upon the whole the premisses considered and that we are commanded not to follow a multitude to do evill though it were of the best of men and that therefore the examples and practises though it were of whole Churches are to be no farther a rule for us then they follow Christ and as their examples be approved of in the Word of Christ notwithstanding the universality and long continuedness of such practises Whereas you say that you pray for the establishment of such Church Government as is consonant to the will of God and universall practise of primitive Churches we believe you might cut the matter a great deal shorter and say That you are for the establishing of that Government that is most consonant to the will of God revealed in the Scriptures and that the Word of God alone and on which onely Faith must be built and into which at last be resolved when other records of Antiquity that yet are not so ancient as it is have been searcht into never so much shall determine what that is and so those wearisome and endless disputes about what is the universall and constant practise of primitive Churches and which if it could be found out in any good measure of probability for the first 300. years after Christ could never yet be so farr issued as to be a sure bottom whereon our faith may safely rest may be cut off It being a most certain rule and especially in matters of faith that the Factum is not to prescribe against the Jus The Practice against the Right or what ought to be done And it being out of all question the safest course for all to bring all doctrine and practices to the sure and infallible Standard and Touchstone the Word of God alone And after you have more seriously weighed the matter and remember how you professe that in the matters you propose in your Paper You rest not in the Judgment or determination of any general Council of the Eastern or Western Churches determining contrary to what you are perswaded is so fully warranted in the Word of God as well as by the constant practice of the Catholick Church although what that was were more likely to be resolved by a general Council then by your selves the proposal of having the Word of God alone to be the Judg of the Controversie about Church-Government cannot wee think in reason be deny'd by you And wee with you shall heartily pray That the Church-Government which is most consonant to the will of God revealed in Scriptures might be established in these Lands Although wee must also professe that wee believe that that Government which is established by Authority and which wee exercise is for the substantials of it this Government which wee judg also to be most consonant to the practice of the primitive Churches in the purest times And therefore as there was some entrance made by the late Parliament in regard of establishing this Government by Ordinances as the Church-Government of these Nations And as to the putting those Ordinances in execution there hath been some beginning in the Province of London the Province of this County and in some other places throughout the Land So when there shall be the opportunity offered wee shall not be wanting by petitioning or otherwayes to use our best endeavors that it may be fully settled throughout these Lands That so wee may not as to Government in the Church any longer continue as a City without walls and a Vineyard without an hedg and so to the undoing of our posterity endanger Religion to be quite lost And upon which consideration wee do earnestly desire that all conscientious and moderate spirited men throughout the Land though of different principles whether of the Episcopal or Congregational way would bend themselves so farr as possibly they can to accommodate with us in point of practice In which there was so good a progresse made by the late Assembly as to those that were for the Congregational way And as wee think also all those that were for the lawfulnesse of submission to the Government of the late Prelacy as it was then exercised And that are of the Judgment of the lare Primate of Ireland in his reduction of Episcopacy unto the form of Synodical Government mentioned before might do if they would come up towards us so farr as wee judg their principles would allow them As wee do also professe that however wee cannot consent to part with the Ruling Elder unlesse wee should betray the truth of Christ Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 1 Tim. 5. as wee judge and dare not give any like consent to admit of a moderate Episcopacy for fear of encroachments upon the Pastors right and whereof late sad experience lessons us to beware as wee judg also that the superiority of a Bishop above a Presbyter in degree which some maintain is no Apostolical institution and so have the greater reason in that respect to caution against it Yet wee do here professe wee should so farr as will consist with our principles and the peace of our own consciences be ready to abate or tolerate much for peace sake That so at the length all parties throughout the Land that have any soundnesse in them in matters of faith and that are sober and godly though of different judgments in lesser matters being weary of their divisions might fall in the necks one of another with mutual embraces and kisses and so at last through the tender mercy of our God there might be an happy closure of breaches and restoring of peace and union in this poor unsettled rent and distracted Church to the glory of God throughout all the Churches But now as to you and what follows in your Paper and in the mean season till this can be accomplished and for which wee shall heartily pray wee cannot but judg that such as are within our bounds and live as lawlesse persons contemning the commands of God and so out of their rank and order and of which sort you deny not but that there may be some among us however they be subject to Law and the punishment of the Civil Sword as needs they must be yet being such as are justly censurable according to the rules of our Government wee do not think they are thereby exempted from being reached by that Ecclesiastical Sword as you phrase it which both God and the Civil Authority hath intrusted us with And as wee are farr from contemning the Authority of the Civil Magistrate and shall therefore out of due respect unto it and that the lawlesse might be curbed be ready not onely our selves as wee have a call but also warn others as there may be occasion to make complaint to the Civil Power that so such offenders being punished by corporal and pecuniary mulcts to the suppression of wickednesse and licentiousnesse and the Reformation of mens lives and maners Yet