the Lord and the names of the twelve Tribes upon the brest-plate this proveth not a Church representative but signes representative 5. The body of the Church is now as then necessarily absent from the Consistorial actions of debating and deciding matters of Church government and of Jurisdiction and so that which was called the foundation of a representative Church doth still remaine Now before I make an end I must answer yet other two objections which have beene lately made There is one who objecteth that the Assembly of the Apostles Acts 15. can bee no president nor patterne for succeeding ages First because the Apostles were inspired with the holy Ghost which wholly guided them in all matters of the Church so as in that their determination they say expressely It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burthen Now what Synod in any age after the Apostles could ever say that they were infallibly inspired and assisted by the holy Ghost Secondly that injunction of the holy Ghost and of the Apostles was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that present time for the avoiding of offences betweene Jewes and Gentiles But the like we read not afterward in all the writings of the Apostles Ans. 1. I say with Whittaker Posse alia c. That other lawfull councells may in like manner affirme their Decrees to be the Decrees of the holy Ghost if they be like unto this councell and if they keepe the same rule which the Apostles did keep and follow in this councell for if they decree and determine nothing but from the Scriptures which was done in this councell and if they examine all questions according to the Scriptures and in all their Decrees follow the voyce of the Scripture then may they affirme that the holy Ghost hath so decreed 2. If the Doctrine or exhortation of a Pastor well grounded upon the Scriptures bee the Word of God then much more is the Decree of a Synod well grounded upon the Scriptures the Decree of the holy Ghost 3. That Assembly was not of the Apostles alone but of the Apostles and Elders neither did the Decrees proceed from the Apostles alone but from the Apostles and Elders Acts 16.4 and 21.25 and in the place which is now objected Acts 15.28 not the Apostles alone but the Elders with them say It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us What the Elders did then the Elders may doe now for time hath not diminished their authority 4. Nay what the Apostles did in that Synod the Elders may doe in a Synod now for the Apostles then did nothing but in the ordinary and common way of disputing and debating comparing reason with reason and sentence with sentence and thereafter framing the Decree according to the light which they had by reasoning and by searching the Scriptures But which is most observable the sentence of the Apostle Peter in that Synod was very imperfect and defective for he only disswadeth from imposing the yoke of the ceremoniall law upon the Churches of the Gentiles but maketh no mention of any overture for avoiding the offence betwixt the Jewes and the converted Gentiles at that time which I may suppose he would have done if his light and judgement had carried him that farre In this the Apostle Iames supplieth the defect of Peters sentence and propoundeth an overture which pleased the whole councell and according to which the decree was given sorth This made Luther to say that Iames did change the sentence of Peter And all this it pleased God so to dispose that we might understand that Synod to bee indeed a president and paterne for ordinary Synods in succeding ages 5. Henry Iacob in his third argument for the Divine Institution of the Church saith It is absurd and impossible that the Text Matth. 18. was never understood for 1500 yeares after Christ. Sure this Text Act. 15. was never understood for that whole space if the Assembly there mentioned be not a president to succeeding ages 6. It maketh nothing against us that he saith the decree of the Apostles Elders was for that present time onely nay it maketh for us for in this also that Synod was a paterne to succeeding ages forasmuch as Synods now have no power to make a perpetuall restraint from the practice of any indifferent thing such as was then the eating of bloud and things strangled but onely during the case of scandall And moreover the decree of the Apostles and Elders in that Synod is also perpetuall in so farre as it is conceived against the pressing of circumcision as necessary to salvation One objection more I finde in another late Peece which striketh not at the authority alone but at the very reputation of Synods This Authour alledgeth that the ordinary government by Synods is a thing of great confusion by reason of the parity and equality the voyces being numbred not weighed Equidem saith a wise Father at vere c. To say the truth I am utterly determined never to come to any Councell of Bishops for I never yet saw good end of any Councell for Councels abate not ill things but rather increase them Answ. 1. If the parity and equality make a great confusion in the ordinary government by Synods it shall make no lesse but rather greater confusion in an extraordinary Synod so that there is no ground for his restriction to that which is ordinary 2. If the numbring of voyces and the parity of those that doe voyce make a confusion in Synods why not in Parliaments also and in other civill Courts 3. That testimony doth only strike at the Councels of Bishops and so maketh not against parity but against imparity in Councels And to say the truth wee have found in our owne experience that Prelaticall Synods have not abated but rather increased evils in the Church 4. The words of Nazianzen for he is the Father here meant of are not to be understood against Synods but against the abuse of Synods at that time And in this we must pardon him saith Whittaker that he shunned all Synods in those evill times of the Church when the Emperour Valens was opposite to the Catholicke faith and when the faction of heretickes did most prevaile in that case indeed Synods should have produced greater evils But we trust it shall be now seen that well constituted and free Synods of Pastors and Elders shall not increase but abate evill things FINIS A POST-SCRIPT In answer to a Treatise very lately published which is intituled The Presbyteriall Governement examined WHen the Printer had done all except two sheets of my former Treatise there came to my hands a peece against Presbyteriall Governement which promiseth much but performeth little Though my time be very short yet I trust to make an answer to it as full as it deserveth It hath a magisteriall and high sounding title undertaking the examination of Presbyteriall
performance but leaveth the particular dayes of fasting and thankesgiving to be determined by the Church according to the rules of the Word In like manner the Scripture commendeth the renewing of the covenant of God in a Nation that hath broken it but leaveth the day and place for such an action to be determined by the Church according to the rules foresaid Now if the Church following the generall warrant and rules of the Word command to fast such a day to give thankes such a day to renew the covenant of God such a day these things are divine ordinances mixedly though not meerely and he who disobeyeth disobeyeth the commandement of God The like may be said of catechising and of celebrating the Lords Supper which are not things occasionall as the former but ordinary in the Church they are commended by the warrants of Scripture but the particular times and seasons not determined The like wee say of the order to be kept in baptisme and in excommunication which is not determined in the Word though the things themselves be The removing of scandals by putting wicked persons to publike shame and open confession of their faults in the Church hath certaine warrant from Scripture yet the degrees of that publike shame and punishment are left to be determined by the Church according to the quality of the scandall and the rules of the Word Now the Church appointeth some scandalous persons to be put to a greater shame some to a lesser some to â—ee oâ—e Sabbath in the place of publike repentance some three some nine some twenty five c. And if the offender refuse that degree of publike shame which the Church following the rules foresaid appointeth for him hee may be truely said to refuse the removing and taking away of the scandall which the Word of God injoyneth him and so to disobey not the Church only but God also Just so the Scripture having commended unto us the governing of the Church the making of Lawes the exercise of Jurisdiction the deciding of controversies by Consistories and Assemblies Ecclesiasticall having also shewed the necessity of the same their power their rule of proceeding and judging who should sit and voice in the same c. But leaving the particular kindes degrees times bounds and places of the same to be resolved upon by the Church according to the light of naturall reason and generall rules of the Word The Church for her part following the generall warrant and rules foresaid together with the light of nature hath determined and appointed Assemblies Provinciall and Nationall and to exercise respectively that power which the Word giveth to Assemblies in generall The case thus standing we may boldly maintaine that those particular kinds and degrees of Ecclesiasticall Assemblies are Gods owne ordinances mixedly though not meerely But what can bee the reason may some man say why the Scripture hath not it selfe determined these kinds of Assemblies particularly I answer three reasons may be given for it 1. because it was not necessary the generall rules of the word together with natures light which directeth Common-wealths in things of the same kind being sufficient to direct the Church therin 2. As sesons and times for the meeting of Assemblies so the just bounds thereof in so many different places of the world are things of that kinde which were not determinable in Scripture unlesse the world had beene filled with volumes thereof for Individua sunt Infinita 3. Because this constitution of Synods Provinciall and Nationall is not universall for all times and places for example there may be in a remote Island 10. or 12. Christian congregations which beside their particular Elderships have a common Presbytery but are not capable of Synods either Provinciall or Nationall Againe let there bee an Island containing forty or fifty Christian congregations there shall be therein beside Presbyteries one kinde of a Synod but not two kindes Besides the reformed congregations within a great Nation may happly be either so few or so dispersed and distant or so persecuted that they can neither have Provinciall nor Nationall Assemblies CHAP. VII The third Argument taken from the Iewish Church IN the third place we take an Argument from the example of the Jewish Church for as in their Common-wealth there was a subordination of civill Courts every City having its proper Court which did consist of seven Magistrates if we beleeve Iosephus the Thalmudicall tradition maketh two Courts to have beene in each City the lesser of the Triumvirat and the greater of twenty three Judges Beside these they had their supreame Consistory the civill Sanedrim which governed the whole Nation and had authority over the inferiour Courts So was there also a subordination of Ecclesiasticall Courts among them they had a Consistory in every Synagogue for their Synagogues were appointed not only for prayer and praising of God and for the reading and expounding of the Scriptures but also for publike correction of offences Acts 26.11 They had besides a supreame Ecclesiastical Court whereunto the whole nation and all the Synagogicall Consistories were subject This Court having decayed was restored by Ichoshaphat 2 Chron. 19.8 and it had the name of Sanedrim common to it with the supream civill Court. From this Court did the reformation of that Nationall Church proceed Nehem. 6.13 On the second day were gathered together the chiefe of the fathers of all the people the Priests and the Levits unto Ezra the Scribe even to understand the words of the Law And they found written in the Law c. Whether there was yet another Ecclesiasticall Court in the midle betwixt the Synagogue and the Sanedrim called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Presbytery Luke 22.66 Acts 22.5 and made up possibly out of the particular Synagogues within the Cities I leave it to learned men to judge howsoever it is plaine from Scripture that there was at least a twofold Ecclesiasticall Court among the Jewes the Synagogue and the Sanedrim the latter having authority above the former Sutlivius denyeth both these and so would have us believe that the Jewish Church had no Eccâ—esiasticall Court at all As for the Synagogues he saith they treated of things civill and inflicted civill punishments and a civill excommunication That they inflicted civill punishment he proveth from Mat. 10. and 23. and Luke 21. where Christ foretelleth that his Disciples should bee beaten in the Synagogues That their excomunication was civill he proveth by this reason that Christ and his Disciples when they were cast out of the Synagogues had notwithstanding a free entry into the Temple and accesse to the sacrifices Answ. This is a grosse mistake for 1. the civill Court was in the gate of the City not in the Synagogue 2. He who presided in the Synagogue was called the chiefe Ruler of the Synagogue Acts 18.8.17 the rest who sate and voiced therein were called the Rulers of the Synagogue Acts 13.15 They who sate in the civill Court had no
Ecclesiasticall Republike of which sort of things the diversity and subordination of Ecclesiasticall Courts was one doth belong by the same reason to the Christian Church I say further though the Common-wealth and civill Policy of the Jewes be not in all points a patterne to our civill Policy yet I am sure it is no errour to imitate the civill policy of the Jewes in such things as they had not for any speciall reason proper to them but are common to all well constituted Common-wealths and so wee may argue from their Common-wealth that it is a good policy to have divers civill Courts and the higher to receive appellations from the Inferiour as it was among them Shall wee not by the very like reason fetch from their Ecclesiasticall Republike diversity of Spirituall Courts and the supreame to receive appellations from the Inferiour because so was the constitution of the Jewish Church and that under the common respect and account of a politicall Church and not for any speciall reason which doth not concerne us CHAP. VIII The fourth Argument taken from Acts 15. THE example of the Apostolicall Churches Acts 15. maketh for us The Churches of Antioch Syria and Cilicia being troubled with the question about the Jewish Ceremonies the matter was debated and disputed at Antioch the chiefe towne of Coelosyria where Paul and Barnabas were for the time It is very probable that some out of the other Churches in that Province as also out of the Churches of Cilicia were present in that meeting and conference for they were troubled with the very same question no lesse then the Church of Antioch Howsoever the matter could not be agreed upon in that meeting but a reference thereof was made to a more generall assembly at Hierusalem and for that effect Paul and Barnabas and others with them were sent thither All this is cleare by comparing verse 2. with 23. Hereupon the Apostles and Elders did synodically come together at Hierusalem and decided the question giving forth decrees to be observed by the particular Churches Acts 15.6.28 and 16.4 We will not dispute what sort of Synod this was only that it was a Synod with authority over many particular Churches and Congregations and whereunto the meeting at Antioch whether it was provinciall or Presbyteriall only did referre the determination of the question about Jewish ceremonies It is answered by some 1. That the reason of sending Paul and Barnabas to Hierusalem was to know whether these teachers who pressed the observation of the ceremoniall Law had any such commission from the Apostles and Elders as they pretended 2. That there is here no Synod nor assembly of the Commissioners of divers Churches for there were no Commissioners from the rest of the Churches in Iudea Galilee and Samaria mentioned Acts 9.31 nor from the Churches of the Gentiles mentioned Act. 14.23 neither were Paul and Barnabas and the rest who went with them Commissioners to represent the Church of Antioch but messengers only to make narration of the case 3. Not only the Apostles and Elders but the whole Church at Hierusalem met together 4. If the resolution which was given be considered as the judgement of the Church at Hierusalem it was only her advice to her sister Churches if otherwise considered it was a decree absolutely Apostolicall and divine Scripture by infallible direction from the holy Ghost and for that reason imposed upon all the Churches of the Gentiles though they had no Commissioners there These answers had need to be stronger before that so many Fathers Councells and Protestant Writers who have understood the matter otherwise should all bee put in an error To the first wee reply that the reason of sending Paul and Barnabas to Hierusalem was not so much to know whether these teachers had commission from the Apostles and Elders to presse the keeping of the Law of Moses as to get a resolution of the question it selfe verse 2. about this question Now the question was not what commission the Apostles had given to those teachers but whether they should be circumcised after the manner of Moses verse 1. To the second we say that if Paul and Barnabas were messengers to make narration of the case certainely they were more then sufficient messengers and there was no need of others to be joyned in message with them so that it appeareth the rest who were sent with them were Commissioners to represent the Churches which sent them Neither is it credible but that all the Churches of Syria and Cilicia which were in the same case with the Church of Antioch did send their Commissioners also to Hierusalem for otherwise how could the Apostles and Elders have so certaine and perfect intelligence of the case of those Churches verse 23. Beside it had beene a great neglect in those Churches if they had not sent some to Hierusalem as the Church of Antioch did for if it was expedient which Antioch did they ought no lesse to have done it their case being the same Moreover it may be collected from verse 3. that the other Churches through which Paul and Barnabas passed in their journey did send some companions along with them to joyne with them in their errand and to give their consent in the meeting at Hierusalem unto that which was to be concluded This is the observation of Cajetan Mentzerus Calvin Gualther and other Interpreters upon that place Lastly it is no way probable that the Apostles and Elders at Hierusalem together with those who were sent from the Churches of Antioch Syria and Cilicia and the other Churches through which Paul and Barnabas did travell would come together without acquainting the rest of the Churches of Judea which were so neare at hand and might so easily send their Commissioners to Hierusalem To the third wee reply that it cannot bee proved from the Text that the body of the Church of Hierusalem was present but rather it appeareth from verse 6. that they were not present as hath been said before And though it were granted that they were present yet Master Robinson saith that they did no more then consent to the decree To the last answer it is containe that the conclusion of that meeting at Hierusalem was not a naked counsell and advice but a decree imposed with authority upon the Churches Acts 15.28 and 16.4 and 21.25 And whereas it is affirmed that the decree was meerely Apostolicall and that the Elders did no more then consent thereto even as the brethren did this is manifestly against the Text for Acts 16.4 It is said of Paul and Silas as they went through the Cities they delivered them the decrees for to keep that were ordained of the Apostles Elders that were at Hierusalem And Act. 21.25 all the Elders speaking to Paul say as touching the Gentiles which believe wee have written and concluded that they observe no such thing That this was spoken by al the Elders is plain from v. 18.19.20 So then