that is censured So in the 2 Thess 3. 14 note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed And 1 Cor 5. 5. Excommunication serveth for the Destruction of the Flesh that is To tame and mortify its Lusts And so although the word be only the necessary mean for the converting of Souls yet it doth not follow that the Government of the Church should not be exercised to wit that the word may work the better The Second Objection is this That all the Arguments we have to establish a Church Government by Divine right are taken from the Churches practice in the Apostles time and commands given them but it does not follow that what was then should be a rule now and they give this as the Reason of the difference because the Magistrate was then a Pagan and so would not meddle with these things but the case is now otherwise when the Magistrate is turned Christian. We Answer First By this it is granted that Church Government was an institution of Christ at least in the primitive times Now sure it is that every thing instituted by Christ layeth on a perpetual obligation except Christ in his word hath set a period that it should be only so long So if this Argument of theirs have any force they must show from Scripture that Christ hath appointed this period for Church Government so as it should be only in force under an Idolatrous Pagan Magistrate And that the Power of it should cease under the Christian Magistrate But no place of Gods word can be given for the proof of tâ—is But on the contrary a Command is given That which Christ delivered to the Apostles 1 Timoth. 6. 14 Should be keeped to his second coming And therefore it remains a perpetual Ordinance Secondly We Answer That if this were true then the Case of the Church should be worse under the Christian than the Pagan Magistrate If so be that under the one they have an Intrinsecal Power to purge and keep his Church free from Scandals but not under the other would not this be hard Thirdly We Answer That the reasons for which the Church did exercise Government in the primitive times were taken from common Equity and so are binding to the Church at all times We find this 1 Cor. 5. 5. Where a command is given to exercise Discipline by Excommunicating of the Incestuous person The reasons given are First The good of the Mans Soul verse 5. Secondly The good of the Church to be keeped from Infection vers 6. Now the Church is bound to see to these at all times We come to the Fourth thing which is a word of Vse And it serves 1. To reprove those who think debates about the Government of the Church useless and of no value To what purpose is it say they what be the Government and who governs if sin be punished and the Word Preached I answer ' it is of much moment For from what is said it appears that Church Government is an Ordinance of God a part of his word and they who evert it or gives way to the everting of it give way to evert a part of the Word of God yea to the bringing down of the Government of Christs own House It is a point of Truth that concerns no less than the Royal Diadem of Christ and all who have got good of Truth are bound to stand for it yea it is more than an ordinary Truth The question is concerning Châ—ists Kingdom if he have a Kingdom of his own distinct from the Kingdoms of the World If he shall have â—is own Laws Office-bearers Courts Censures according to his will in his Word or if all he hath left to that purpose be to scraâ—ched out and the Civil Magistrate to appoint what Laws Rules Courts he pleaseth in Christs House So it is a point relating to his Kingdom a Doctrine to be avowed and a point of Truth worth the Sustering for and which some have suffered for and boasted in it yea it is a point of Truth that hath this advantage beyond other Truths That Christ hath suffered for it himself in his own person for it 's clear that this was the only point he was accused on by Pâ—late and he avowed it Luke 23. 3. That he had a Kingdom though not of the World yet in the World We shall find that this point was chiefly laid to Christs charge in John 18. 33. 34 35 36 37. And this was the pâ—int that was driven home by the Jews 〈◊〉 Christ John 19. It was his 〈◊〉 on the Cross Jesus Christ of Nazareth King of the Iews And this was the point that straitned Pilate most and put him to it to make Christ suffer Joh. 19. So this point hath this advantage that in a special manner Christ sâ—ffered as a Martyr for it Should any then think it a little thing to suffer for God forbid Yea we may think it an Honour The Second Use If so be that Church Government is an Ordinance of God then those intrusted with it such as Ministers and Elders would discharge it as Service to God so as to be countable to him tâ—ere should be an other frame of Spirit when Men are in Church Judicatories than when they are in Civil Judicatories These are Ordinances of Men thir of God and require more than a common frame of Spirit Alas we may say for the Unministerial like Carriage of Ministers and Elders may justly provoke God to thro us out altogâ—ther A Third Vse of this point is That seeing Church Government is an Ordinance of Jesus Christ then ye that are people should obey and submit to those that are over you in the Lord otherwise if it be not tâ—us looked on it may provoke the Lord to remove the Hedge from us and if this were God knoweth what we would be we are evil now but if people got leave to do every thing that seemeth good in their own eyes we could not but be much worse Ye see what ye are with it but know not what ye will be without it And so much for the first Head of Erastian Doctrine Head II. The Power of Church Government belongeth not to the Civil Magistrate THe Second Head of Erastian Doctrine which we are to prove not to be of God is That whereby they affirm That all the Power of Church Government is in the Hands of the Civil Magistrate And here there are some differences among themselves some giving him all Power to dispence all Church Ordinances and this as a Magistrate without a Call from the Church and so to Preach and to Administrate the Sacraments Others again content themselves to ascribe to him only a Power of Jurisdiction to make Church Laws to inflict Church Censures And herein they also differ some puting this Power wholly in the Hand of the Magistrate Others conjunctly with the Ministers a third placeth it in him as the fountain and in Church-men but as
Yet it follows not that the Man who is perswaded of Truth to be Truth is deceived likewise There is a Man who in his Dream thinks certainly he is awake and speaking that Man certainly is deceived But it were a strange thing to conclude from that that the Man who is really awake cannot know if he is so but must alwayes suspect he may be deceived and in a Dream This much then for things out of Doubt and wherein a Man upon good grounds hath attained to a full perswasion of the Truth that is in them But the greatest Question of all is concerning Points of the Truth whereof we are not absolutely perswaded without some scruple and ground of Doubt to the contrary how we may know what is God's Way in those And for this I shall give you some Marks 1st The Light of Nature will teach us in things Doubtful to encline to the surest and safest side and that against which least can be said As for Example in that Controversy concerning the adding of Sacred significant Ceremonies invented by Man to God's Worship As Bowing to Altars Kneeling at the Communion Signing with the Cross at Baptism c. Those who plead such Additions to be superstitious and unlawful do bring Deutr. 12. 32. What things soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it And such like Scriptures for a Proof The Patrons of Ceremonies answer That God forbiddeth such Additions only which are contrary to the Word but not such as are besides the Word neither forbidden nor commanded by it Now that is the very Answer which Papists give to Our Protestant Divines while we use the same Scripture for an Argument against all their superstitious Ceremonies invented by Men And indeed if that Door be once opened a Door is opened not only for one or two but all the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome for on that ground only do they plead for them When we ask what Warrand have they from Scripture for their frequent Crossings their use of Salt Spitle Exorcisms in Baptism their use of Holy Water Baptising of Bells Pilgrimages and Pennances They Answer it is enough of Warrand for the Church to Command them that they are not expresly condemned in Scripture Now seing the way that is pleaded for such Ceremonies casts up so wide a gap It 's sure that to abstain from them altogether is the safest 2. That Way in things Doubtful is most like to be Christ's the Chief Promoters whereof are not carried on with by-ends self designs to acquire Worldly Honours or Riches or Faâ— Benifices to themselves but on the contrary the very thing they plead for and that part of the Contradiction which they mantain is That nothing of that kind further than honest Compitency and Ministerial respect should be bestowed on Christ's Ministers And upon the other hand it is a shrewd Presumption at least that such a Way is not Christ's wherein the Chief Promoters do palpably seek themselves and their own Worldly Interests The Apostle Paul useth to lay great weight on this Mark especially Rom. 16. 18. Such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their own belly So that if they seek their own Bellies they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ. And Philipp 3. 18 19 Many walk that are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose God is their belly who mind earthly things If it be evidently seen they mind earthly things They are but Enemies to the Cross of Christ. 3. When People doubt about several Wayes which of them is Christ's Way they are to stick by that unto which they are most engaged and by more solemn tyes obliged until at least they be clearly convinced it is wrong for very common understanding will judge That to be the surest 4. That way which by the grant of its Adversaries hath ground in Scripture for it tho they also say men may change it must certainly look more like Christ's Way than the contrary which is confessed by its prime Maintainers to have no ground in Scripture but that the great Warrand which is given for it dothâ—ly in the Authority of men Even an heathen King Artaxerxes did know so much that every thing in the House of God behooved to be done according to the revealed will of God whence he issueth forth a Decree Ezra 7 23. Whatsoever is commaded by the God of Heaven let it be diligently done for the house of the the God of heaven for why should their be wrath against the realm of the King and his Sons Lastly That which tends most to the promoting of Piety and is attended most with the Fruits of a Godly life and tender conversation in it's most eminent mantainers and followers and this not for a little short flash only at it's first beginning and when it is as it were upon it's Tryals but at all times when ever there was any Controversie about it That Way I say looketh most like to Christs Way For all His Way and every Piece of it tendeth unto That to make People lead a Godly and Holy life Titus 2. 11 The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World And upon the contrary That way whereof the most zealous mantainers and and followers as to their generality have been still plagued with prophanity and looseness That way I say looks not like the way of Christ. Wee 'l find Christ himself doth lean no small weight on this Mark Matth. 7. 15 16 Where he gives a general rule whereby to try false Prophets and teachers to wit The Fruits and Effects which their Doctrine hath upon their own Lives and Conversations Ye shall know them saith he by their fruits Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles And verse 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them Now all these things are such undoubted Truths as none will get them deny'd in the general and yet such as through Gods Blessing being rightly improven may give People light in the former Question To know which is Christ's Way among the many wayeâ— on foot in the Church of God so as we need not any further application but exhort you with the Apostle Paul 2 Tim 2. 7. Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things A SERMON PREACHED AT KILWINNING Upon the Munday immediatly after the giving of the Communion The Fourth SERMON ACTS 11. 23. Who when he came and had seen the Grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. THE Scope of my Sermon yesterday from Jeremiah 3. 22. was to bring you to God The Text in hand holds out a main Duty ye should make conscience of when ye are brought to him and have closed with him as all of you by your approaching to
consulted with for knowing what was Heresy what not Isâ— 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony c. And for the application of the rule to persons that they might know who were the Hereticks we never read that they consulted Vrim and Thummim but used a judicial Process against the person challenged and proved the Fact by Witnesses So Deut. 17. 4. There must be a scandal of Idolatry upon the man challenged And if it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently c. And it must be proved on him by Witnesses verse 6. As the mouth of two Witnesses or three Witnesses shall he that is worthy of Death he put to death They except Fourthly That in the Infancy and Nonage of the Church God Typed out things Spiritual by things Earthly and so those Punishments were Types of Spiritual Censures Excommunication and Hell and therefore are not now to be put in practice We answer First Excommunication and Damnation were things present to the Jewish Church and so they had no Types of them Secondly This is to turn Scripture to Allegories and by this same reason we may cast at punishments of Sins against the Second Table as being Types of Spiritual Censures Hell and Damnation and there is as much ground for affirming the one as the other This much for Arguments from the Old Testament We shall next hint at some Arguments from the New Testament First If so be that it were unusual for Magistrates to meddle with men in matters of Religion then certainly Jesus Christ and his Apostles should have used this legal Defence when the Magistrate called them before him to answer about their Doctrine They would have said ye have no place to challenge us for our profession for matters of Opinion are free but we do not hear that they declined the Judge or used any such Defence for sure Christ and his Apostles would have left no lawful mean unessayed There is a second Argument taken from Rom. 13. 4. Where speaking of the Civil Magistrate the Apostle sayeth For he is the Minister of God to thee far good but if thou do that which is evil be afraid There is set down the object of the Magistrates Power and the extent of it and it is set down indefinitly upon him that doth evil And therefore if Hereticks Maintainers of falle Worship be doers of evil they fall under the Magistrates Power Now that spreaders of Heresie are doers of evil we did prove in the second Doctrine raised from this Verse where we shew that Heresy and Error was as much to be eschewed as Adultery and other Sins against the Second Table and the Magistrate as Magistrate should put forth his zeal against them as much and all the places commanding zeal against Error which are not few in the New Testament proves this for they bind every one according to his place the Minister according to his place and the Magistrate according to his There is one Exception they make much of against this Argument and it is this say they By doers of evil cannot be meaned these that are taken with Error and Heresy and other Sins against the First Table And that because the evil that is here spoken of is the evil that is mentioned in the beginning of the Verse But if thou do that which is evil be afraid It is an evil say they that any that were guilty of it had need to be afraid of the Magistrate because of it and so it is not meaned the evil of Error and Heresy against Christian Truths For the Magistrate here spoken of is the Roman Emperor and Senate who themselves were Enemies to Christian Religion and so none needed to be afraid of them for spreading Errors but rather for mantaining Truths and therefore the doers of evil here meaned must be the controveeners of the Emperors Civil Laws and not Hereticks and such like For Answer This exception is grounded on a wrong supposition for by the Magistrate is here meaned not only the Roman Magistrate but all Magistrates in general doing their Duty as they ought Paul indeed takes occasion from the Roman Magistrate to speak here what is the Duty of all Magistrates and it is clear from several Circumstances of the Text We shall mark one of them from the first words of the Text For he is the Minister of God to thee Now sure it is this must be meaned of Magistrates in general and not astricted only to the Roman Magistrate he not being the Minister of God unto every one who was to make use of this Scripture There is another Circumstance of the Text proving this in the 3 Vâ—rse For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works Now sure this must be expounded of the Office of Magistracy in general and of that which Magistrates should be and not of the Roman Magistrate who then was well known to be a Terror unto many good Works not only unto Christian but also unto Moral Vertues We shall give you only another Argument shortly taken from that Prophecy Revel 17. 16. A Prophecy tâ—at the Civil Magistrate shall bring down the Antichrist and that Error of the Roman Religion as a most acceptable work to God And so the Magistrates Hand is not bound up from punishing Error and Heresy against the First Table no more than from punishing other Sins done against the Second Table And this much for our Arguments brought in defence of the Truth In the Third place we promised to bring forth some of their Arguments and solve them Herein we need not spend much time for this being Truth there can be nothing said against it which is Truth Yet there being some nimble Spirits to propone Arguments which every one cannot answer we shall stay a little on this Third point also The First thing they object is this If so be that it were the Magistrates Duty to punish Error and Heresy then Jesus Christ would have reproved the Jews for Tollerating the Pharisees and Saduces But so it is he never reproves the Jews for so doing Nothing of that kind is recorded by any of the Evangelists To this we Answer First That it does not follow that Christ did not reprove the Jews because it is not written For John sayes Chap. 20. 30. He did speak many things which are not written so it follows not But Secondly we say although it be granted that Christ did not reprove them yet it follows not that their neglect was not a Sin For First by that reason we might say that the Mgistrate should not punish Theft because Christ speaks nothing of the punishment of it in the New Testament Neither Secondly reproveth he the Church for not Censuring them and yet it followeth not but that they ought to be Censured that way And Thirdly God had revealed his Will before And Fourthly It would have been for no purpose to have stired up the Magistrate to this Duty then for the Sectarieâ—
are the surest Pillars of our Commonwealth but woe to and will be to that Common-wealth that is builded on such Pillars And if Scotland or any party in it joyn with them on these terms our woe is but coming He is a jealous God chiefly in the matter of his Service as is clear from the Second Command The Third use is If this be an Ordinance of God to put Power in the Magistrates hand to punish Error it should make you scar at Error and labour to be grounded in the Truth For we see Error is a sin that God hates and it is a sin that God will have the Magistrate to punish and so a sin that he himself will punish if the Magistrate do neglect it It is natural to men to think If they can live a good Life it is the less matter what be their Opinion but the Lord Judges not so for as he will have other sins punished by the Magistrate so he will have these punished also And such as he usually punisheth himself by fearful Plagues when the Magistrate neglecteth his Duty in punishing other sins so doth he in those We might speak much from History of fearful Judgements sent immediatly by God upon Hereticks but we shall here close SECT III. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF Erastianism Head I. That there is a Church Government held forth in Scripture HAving thus show'n that the Doctrine of Tolleration is not of God I proceed to Demonstrate this also in some other of the most Dangerous Errors of the Times We shall begin first with these Errors which are about the Government of the Church and that because the Government of the Church is the hedge of the Doctrine for if once the Government be brangled or shaken the wild Boar of the Wilderness cometh in easily and corrupteth the Doctrine therefore it is that the Devils main design hath been against the Government of the Church to blast and storm this Wall on all Hands The summe of what we have to say in this is to make out these four points First That there is a Government appointed by Christ in his Church distinct from the Civil Government Secondly We shall show that this Government is not in the hands of the Civil Magistrate but in the hands of Christs own officers which he hath appointed for Governing his house By inflicting of Church Censures enacting of Church canons so as they are not to act by derived power from the Magistrate and Appeals are not to be made from them to the Magistrate Thirdly we shall endeavour to prove That this power of Church Government is not in the hands of private Christians or the community of the Faithful but in the hand of Christs own Officers Ministers and Elders And Lastly We shall endeavour to prove that this Authority and Government is not in the hand of particular Congregations or particular Elderships Independently from other Judicatories above them but that this power is given to them so as they must be subject to Superior Judicatories In which propositions we will meet with these Errors that are most dangerously opposite to Church Government at this time The First two propositions are contrary to the Doctrine of Erastians and the last two are contrary to the Doctrine of Independents as they are commonly designed First we shall engage with Erastianism and our Scope in this shall be as in the former to show that however it pretend to the Spirit yet when it is brought to the tryal it will be found not to be of God This Doctrine or Error hath its name from the prime Author of it called Erastus a Doctor of Medicine who upon some discontent did first vent it to wit That Ministers should only meddle with Preaching but should have no power to meet in Church Judicatories Sessions Presbyteries or such like nor should they punish Scandalous sins with Church Censures Such as Suspension or Excommunication But that all power whatsoever in a Nation both in Church and State should be in the hand of the Civil Magistrate This Doctrine so soon as it was vented did get and does yet get many followers chiefly among state Divines and Christians that know more of wordly policy than Christian simplicity so that in a short time if God prevent it not it is like to swallow up all other Controversies about Church Government so plausible and pleasing it is to the powers of the World who cannot well endure to have Christ Reigning besides them Psalm 2. 3. Let us break their bands assunder and cast away their cords from us Both Sectaries and Malignants do aggree in this Error to take the power of Discipline out of the Churches hand 's The spiritual power of Church Censures in the hands of Christs officers is an eye sore to both of them But to come nearer to the point There are two heads of this Erastian Doctrine which we shall labour to refute The First is most gross whereby they affirm That there is no particular Church Government set down in Scripture In a word that there is no Government in the Church by divine right but that this Government is left in the hands of the Civil Magistrate whether to erect any Government at all in the Church or not or if he please to erect one That he may establish That Government which suits best the well-being of the Civil state So that according to this Doctrine the Civil Magistrate may establish Episcopacy this year the next year he may establish Presbytry and the third year he may cast both and establish Independency And if he like He may find out a Government different from any of these and establish it The Second Erastian Error is this whereby they affirm whatever Government be in the Church whether grounded in Scripture or not that according to Scripture it is in the hands of the Civil Magistrate and that he is the chief fountain of Church Government In opposition to the first Error we lay down this Conclusion which God willing we shall make good That Jesus Christ the King and head of his Church hath established a particular form of Church Government in his word which to alter is not in the power of any State whatsoever He hath set down a way for punishing Scandals for inflicting Church Censures Enacting Church canons And hath not left this in the Arbitriment of Kings or Parliaments to set down any Government they please In prosecuting which point we shall follow that Method we keeped in refuting the Doctrine of Tolleration We shall First clear the State of the Question Secondly We shall bring Arguments to confirm the Truth Thirdly We shall Answer these Arguments the Adversary brings against the Truth And so we shall apply all to Use. I. And First for clearing the State of the Question take thir two assertions First we do not affirm that all the Circumstantials of Church Government is set down expresly in the word But only first That all the
suppress sin as well as then Is not Christ perfect in all his House as well as Moses Yea in a word there can nothing be alleadged for a necessity to have a Church Government under the Old Testament but the same may be brought to prove the necessity of it under the New The Second Argument we bring to prove this point is taken from the native end of Church Government which is spiritual to wit For the edifying of the Body of Christ Ephes 4. 12. To gain the Soul of our offended Brother to Repentence Matth 18. 15. It is that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Corinth 5 5. So the end of the Church Government is a spiritual end and therefore it must have a Divine Original Church Government whose end is spiritual can be no humane Ordinance for such produceth no supernatural effects therefore it must have a higher warrand for it than that of the Magistrate Our Third Argument is taken from this that all the substantials of Church Government are set down expresly in Scripture from which we make this Argument That Government whose substantial parts are all set down expresly in Scripture the Magistrate hath no power to alter it or put an other in its place but so it is that all the substantial parts of Church Government are set down expresly in Scripture Therefore the Magistrate hath no power to alter it The thing we have to make out in this Argument is this That all the substantials of Church Government are set down in Scripture And to clear this we shall reckon up five things First That Church officers have their warrand from Scripture Thess 5 12. 1 Tim 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine There is a Ruler or an officer with power to rule established in Gods house What they say That by Ruling there is meaned Preaching because Ministers guide People by Preaching is a frivolous Exception and that because of what is in the end of the Verse especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine So labouring in the word and Doctrine is one thing and Ruling is another thing and not one and the same as their Exception affirmeth But we shall find a more clear place for it in Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves There are Officers established with power to Rule and the People are commanded to submit and give Obedience to them and so there are Rulers Officers established in Gods Church Secondly The Courts and Judicatories of the Church have a warrand in Gods word and for this see Matth 18. 17 18. And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven The Adversaries are so shamless that they say by the Church is here meaned the Civil Magistrate and that the complaint should be made to them But it is sure the Civil Magistrate is not here meaned And to prove it The Judicatory here meaned is that whereof the Apostles should be Members and therefore in v 16. It is said whatever ye to wit the Apostles shall bind on earth c. Now sure it is Jesus Christ gives no power to his Ministers to sit in Civil Courts and to judge of Civil business The third substantial of Church Government that hath warrand in the word is the subordination of lesser Judicatories to greater and this is warranted in Act 15 2. Where Paul and Barnabas come up from Antioch to a General Council at Jerusalem because the controversie in hand could not be ended at Antioch where there is a Court with power They determine the Question Censure the Schismaticks giving them the name of Lyars v. 24. The Fourth substantial of this Government set down in Scripture is the order of proceeding in relation to Censure 1. By private Admonition Then more pubâ—ick Matth 18. 15. The fifth thing is The nature and kind of thir Censures which are not bodily as takingâ— way the life but spiritual to wit Admonitions reproofs Casting out of the Church Matth 18 17 Let him he unto thee as an Heathen and a Publican Now from all this It evidently appears that Christ hath set down all the Substantials of Church Government in his word And seeing he hath done so what man dare alter it taking any prudential way for the good of the Church at his pleasure Yea there is a charge given to preserve all these inviolable till Christs coming 1 Tim 5. 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality So that which Christ hath set down concerning the Government of his house is unalterable by any person whatsomever till the coming of Jesus Christ. So much for the third Argument There is a Fourth and it shall be our last which is this If so be that Christ hath left his House without any particular Government only referring it to the Civil State to appoint what Government they please it would reflect much on the wisdome of Jesus Christ For the Church visible is his Kingdom his House his Vinyard his Garden And shall we say that he hath appointed no Laws to Govern no Courts to guide this Kingdom but left it to the Civil Magistrate to appoint by whom and how it pleaseth him best A King of Clay would not do so with his Kingdom much less he who is the King of Glory This for the Arguments to confirm the Truth we shall in the next place Answer their Objections III. The First is say they from 2 Tim 3 16. The word of God is able to make a man perfect and therefore there is no need of Government We Answer This same Argument may as well strick against Magistracy But Secondly We say which we made already appear That the Government of the Church is grounded on the Word Hence their Argument proveth not because the Government of the Church is a part of the Word and is commanded by it and so it is not an adding to it But if they say the bare Preaching of the word is enough We Answer Not to detract any thing from the word Preached which is the mean appointed by God to save Souls yet the Exercise of Dicipline is necessary also It is necessary we say for Three Reasons 1. To keep the Ordinances of God from being polluted by the rushing foreward of Dogs and Scandalous Persons All the Preaching that can be to bid Scandalous men keep back will not do Then 2. It is necessary for keeping the Church from being infected by the contagion of Scandalous men Hence sayeth the Apostle Paul a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Therefore put the incestous man from among you 3. It is necessary for the good of the Soul
Church-member then every Church-member is bound in Conscience to attend all Church Judicatories to wait on the deciding of all Ecclesiastical questions But what inevitable confusion would follow on this How long time would it take to inform People about the Circumstances of things How tedious would it be to hear every mans judgment to the point And what distractions would it be to Peoples Callings This certainly would bring great confusion And so such a Power as this cannot be from God who is the God of Order These are now the Arguments for the Truth III. In the next place we shall answer their Arguments brought against the Truth The first they use is grounded on Coloss. 4. 17. A command There is given to the Body of Believers in reference to the Minister Say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord. From this they infer That People have Power to Censure their Minister And so have Church Authority We answer They make much of this Argument and yet it is little worth For they build their Power to Censure upon this that they have Power to Say A poor reason So Matth. 18. 17. Say to the Church or tell the Church It is the same word that is here used But to infer from this that one man had Authority over the Church were very ridiculous Surely if he had commanded a judicial act of Authority he would have said Command and Charge Archippus with all Authority as in the like case he speaks to Timothy But as we shew in the state of the question private Christians have Power to exhort and admonish one another yea their Pastors But this doth not import any Power of Church-Government over others else women who are not permitted to speak in the Church should have Power of Church-Government to make Church Canons Censure and Ordain their Ministers For they are bound to exhort and admonish as occasion offers Obj. 2. A second Argument they bring from Act. 11. 1. When Peter comes up to Jerusalem verse 3. the people Challenge him saying Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them and verse 4 He begins to clear himself to them and rehearsed the matter from the beginning c. And from this they reason thus That the Church hath Power to call Peter to an account And therefore they have Power to Censure for Scandals It s answered first Besides the People there were Apostles and Brethren There verse 1. Secondly We answer It doth not follow because Peter purgeth himself of a Scandal unjustly laid upon him That therefore they had Power to Censure him For every Christian is bound to clear himself to another Christian of that which he is stumbled within his carriage yet one private Christian hath not Church Power over another to Censure So Peter was bound to clear himself before any one of them and if he had done wrong to take with it but that That one could not be a Church Judicatory having Power to inflict Censure on Peter our Opposits themselves will grant Obj. 3. A Third Argument they bring against the Truth is from Revel 2. 14. I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam The Spirit of God here is wriâ—ing to the Church of Pergamus And after he hath commended them for their Doctrine he reproves them for not exercising Discipline against these Hereticks to wit Balaam Iesabel and the Nicolattans Now from this they argue The whole Church is reproved here for not executing Discipline against these Hereticks and therefore they had power to do it Otherwise they would not have been reproved for the neglect of it But that all were reproved they prove from vers 13. and its connection with the 14. say they these who are commended in the 13. are rebuked in the 14 verse I know thy Works and where thou dwellest even where Sathan's seat is c. But so it is that not only the Ministers and Elders but all the People dwelt where Sathan's Seat was Therefore they all are reproved Answer It followeth well that they are all reproved for one fault But not that they were accessory to it after one and the same way It was the Rulers part judicially to cast out these vile Hereticks It was the Peoples part to have stirred up the Rulers to it Now because these were neglected on both hands both have their own guilt and so both reproved for their respective guilt The People are reproved for not Mourning to God for the tollerating such like abominations and their not stirring up the Rulers to take course with them But it will not follow that they were reproved for not sitting down in the Judicatory and inflicting Censures themselves That was the Rulers fault And therefore we deny that they are all rebuked for their accession to that guilt in the same way And we clear it thus Doubtless the Teachers did not teach against these vile Hereticks Now there were Women there and yet surely they are not rebuked for not Preaching against them for They ought to be silent in the Church So their fault as of all other Church Members was of another kind to wit Their not Mourning nor stirring up the Officers And so it followes that it was their Duty to Mourn stir others up to their Duty which we grant But not to exercise the Power themselves for that is not the thing they are reproved for Obj. 4. The Fourth Objection is grounded on Mat 18 17 If he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Publican Whence say they the power of Church Censure is in the hand of the Church but so it is Church Officers are never called the Church Neither can they be so called without the Body of the People Therefore the power of the Church Censures is in the hand of the Body of the People Wee Answer This Argument will make more against them than us and that because they grant that neither Women nor Children have hand in Church Government but only professing Men Now they shall get no place in Scripture wherein the name of the Church is given to the Body of the Men Assembled without Women and Children Secondly We grant that the name of the Church is very sparingly given to Officers without the People Yet we say 1. 't is given them in some places As for Example Acts 18. 22. It is said of Paul When he had landed at Caesarea and gone up and saluted the Church c. Now by the Church here certainly cannot be meaned the body of professâ—rs which did amount to many thousands of People as shall appear from Acts 21. 20. In its own time So by the Church must be meaned the Chief men and Rulers of the Church For Paul having so short time to stay he seeing them but at the by could
spoken of For the last part of the verse must be exponed according to the first part Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed Now certainly that is meaned of others besides those that were before added and so this five thousand must be a new number Fiftly In Acts 5. 14. Besides all these it is said And believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and Women And Sixtly In Act. 6. 7. And the word of the Lord increased and the number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the Faith They multiplied and multiplyed greatly And these were not only the common People but the leaders and Priests also who doubtless would bring multitudes with them by their example Now all these being considered any understanding man may easily conceive that so many thousands as these would amount to behooved to be cast in moe Congregations than one and could not be one single Congregation Before we proceed to the Second ground of our proof we shall shew you first what they say against this There are three things mainly they object And the first is That the most part of those who were converted by the Apostles were strangers who had not their dwelling at Jerusalem and so did not remain Members of that Church And for this they cite Act 2. 8 9. Where it is reckoned that among the number of the hearers there were Parthians and Medes and Elamits and the dwellers in Mesopotamia c. To this we Answer that though those men came out of those far Countries being Godly men who come in Expectation of the Messias his coming who was then expected yet they were dwellers in Jerusalem for that time and for this see Act 2. 5. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men out of every nation under Heaven So they had taken up house and were dwelling there And in v 14. Where Peter began his Preaching he sayes Ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem be this known unto you c. Secondly We answer dwell where they please They were Members of this Church at Jerusalem And this appears from several things that are ascribed to them by the Holy Ghost which cannot be spoken of any but Members of that Church So in verse 47. it is said And the Lord added them unto the Church daily Secondly In verse 46. They continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking Bread from house to house c. Thirdly In verse 45. They sold their possessions and gave their Goods into the Church Treasury for the help of the poor And Fourthly We find in Act. 6. 5. That they all joyned in choosing the Deacons and Officers of the Church Now sure these are Actions that belong to none but Church-Members This for their First Objection Their second Objection is this say they The Holy Ghost sayeth expresly that they did meet all at one place as if it were on purpose to evince our Argument and that the whole multitude did come together As for instance Act. 2. 1. it is said They were all with one accord in one place and in the same Chapter verse 46. They continuing daily with one accord in the Temple c. And it is also said Act. 6. 2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the Disciples unto them c. And verse 5. And the saying pleased the whole multitude Now to take off this exception which seems to be the most plausible of their Objections First Consider what we spoke from the Scripture of their number and what thousands were in this Church And let any reasonable man conceive how it could be possible that all those should meet in one place And therefore that meeting in one place must be taken in another sense It 's observed by the Learned That the word here turned meeting together in one place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not always signify a meeting together in one room but the agreeing of the Affection and Judgement in one thing And for the clearing of this they cite Act. 4. 25 26 Why did the Heathen rage and the People imagine vain things The Kings of the earth stood up and the Rulers were gathered together against the Lord c. Now it is the same word that is there turned in one place which is here turned gathered together and certainly no place of Scripture will prove that Herod Pontius Pilate Jew and Gentile did all meet in one place to consult about the Death of Christ But only they agreed in one Judgement and hearty Affection about it And so the meaning may well be taken thus in tâ—is other place But yet to speak to these places further For Act. 2. 1. That they were all with one accord in one place It makes nothing against our Argument For the number was not then so great as we shew it grew afterwards and so they might well meet in one place The same answer we give to that in verse 46. They continuing daily with one accord in the Temple They were not then come to the full number that afterward they came to So that although they might all have continued in the Temple at that time yet afterwards they could not And Secondly We answer It doth not prove the point they bring it for It is only mentioned They came to the Temple to hear the Word but not that they were all of one Congregation partaking of all Ordinances in one place For it is said afterwards They brake Bread from House to House meaning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which they did partake of from House to House in their particular Congregations So that place makes more against our Opposits than against us For the other place in Act. 6. 5. When the Apostles and Believers were come to a greater extent yet the Apostles call the whole multitude to them and it is said The saying pleased the whole multitude To this we answer by the whole multitude cannot be meaned all before spoken of And therefore we say by the whole Multitude is meaned a great Multitude as in that of Luke 8. 37. Where it is said That the whole multitude of the Countrey of the Gadarens round about c. It is not to be imagined that Man and Mother-Son or every Individual Person came out to meet Christ but only a great Multitude or otherwise the whole multitude may be taken for the whole multitude of those that were present as Luke 1. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without when Zacharias was offering Incense Now this must not be understood that all the multitude of the People of Jerusalem was there but only of the whole multitude that was present This for their second Objection Their third Objection is this Though it be granted that the number of Believers was such before the persecution that fell out Act. 8 1. Yet when that Persecution came there
not absurd for in our Parliament Commissioners from Shires are Judges to the whole Kingdom But how It is as they are joyned in Parliament not by themselves alone It is in matters common to the Shire not in other petty particular Affairs And so it is here They are Elders to all the Congregations indeed as they are joyned together in the Presbytery But not by themselves alone In things of common concernment to the whole particular Congregation not in these Duties belonging to every Congregation in particular Object 4. If this Subordination and Judicatory above Judicatory were of Divine Institution It s like Scripture would have spoken more plainly of it not leaving it to be drawn out by so many far fetch'd Consequences Answer We have already given sufficient Warrand for this Government by clear Consequences from Scripture And Consequences from Scripture are Scripture else we must cast at many points of Divine Truth which have no other ground but Scripture Consequence As the Trinity and Change of the Sabbath yea we see Christ himself grounding a material point to wit The Resurrection upon Scripture Consequence Mark 12. 26. 2. We must not teach God how to set down his mind in Scripture We perchance think It had been a plainer way to have cast matters of Religion to so many Heads By which means many Controversies should have been shunned But He hath thought otherwise The Lord in Wisdom hath scattered the parcels of every Truth through his Book intermixing it with other Subjects as the Gold is in the Mine and this to exercise his people in searching out his mind from Scripture IV. In the last place We come to make some Vse of what is said And the first Vse is this If it be so that this Government by Presbytery is grounded on the word of God Then ye would know it is not a thing of nought we are contesting for It 's a part of that Truth once delivered to the Saints and a Truth of no small concernment What would become think ye of Particular Congregations If they had none above them to call them to an account What Divisions Strifes Heresies Schisms would ensue if people were informed of these Contests that have fallen out among our Opposits themselves where this way of Independency was followed The one half renting from the other Excommunicating one another It might make moderate Men scar at it But we need seâ—k no other evidence of this than by looking on Scotland and England these years by past In the Church of England Presbytery could not be set up Independency was pleaded for and practised And what is become of it Sathan hath vomited out a floud of Errors that there were never more nor more gross in any time of the Christian World Yea all the rotten Graves of old Heresie are digged up and now avowed Socinianism In denying Christs Righteousness in the matter of Justification Anabaptism In denying the Baptizing of Infants Arianism In denying the Trinity And many other such like Yea there are some Errors there that were never before heard of Some affirming There is no Church they can joyn with And therefore They turn Seekers Some are above all Preaching Prayer and all Ordinances And all these are the Fruits of Independency Again look on the Fruits of the Presbyterial Government in Scotland where it hath been in Vigour God hath made it an Hammer for battering down the beginnings of Error So that these twelve years bypast not any one Error hath come to any Strength And this all under God from Presbyterial Government being His Institution Our Judicatories were indeed terrible as an Army with Banners though indeed we are now like to turn contemptible God himself heal our Breaches Secondly Guard against the Errors that would draw you from this Truth If ye cannot carry the grounds we have been speaking of with you yet ye may remember ye once heard this Truth confirmed from Scripture and Reason That so when ye meet with temptations to quite it ye may advise well before ye yeild I would press this so much the more As that this Doctrine of Presbyterial Government is the Butt of Sathan's Envy the thing he would have most gladly overthrown As that which stands most in his way For so long as it stood in its integrity We might in the Lords strength have defied the Devil to have brought Error into Scotland And indeed it is the thing he sets himself to brangle To get the hedge once plukt up that so the wild Boar of the wilderness may come in And believe me there is nothing makes me more affraid than that through Gods permission the Devil shall get a deludge of Error brought in on Scotland Because those who have been intrusted with this Government have weakned the power of it by Divisions among our selves A copy is casten How that Erronious Spirits need not stand much on the Authority of Assemblies when they would cross their Designs We are affraid yea we may be past â—ear and conclude That Presbyteries Synods c. have lost much of the weight They had lately in mens consciences Only let me intreat you in the bowels of Christ That ye would put a difference betwixt the Government it self and the Persons who are intrusted with it Doe not charge the faults of the one upon the other The best things that are may be abused And it is Peoples Tryal to put difference between the good of a thing and the Abuse of it The Government is good and of God and the abuse of it is evil and of men What is of God cleave to it and stick fast by it what is from mens corruptions mourn for it Pray themselves may get a sight of it And thus ye shall walk in an eaven way Ye had need to deal with God to ground you in the knowledge of these things For we know not how soon we may be put to it to quite them Only remember They are Truths ye have sworn to maintain with your hands lifted up on high SECT V. A SHORT REFUTATION OF THE ERROR OF Separation Head I. Shewing what is required for making one a Member of the Visible Church WE have gone through these Controversies which are about the Government of the Church We are now to refute some dangerous Errors of Doctrine And first We shall begin with the Error of Separation The Errors of Separatists are many but we shall only engage with two Heads of them which are the main The first is That which they teach concerning the Constitution of the Visible Church Or who it is that should be received Members of Christs visible Body The second is That which they hold to be the duty of every sincere Christian viz. That when they spy any corruption in a Church wherein they are Members as if Persons Scandalous be admitted to the Lords Supper seeing they ought all to be Gracious who come there Then say they It is their duty to keep back from
alone Because they cannot be sure enough that any others have Grace but only themselves There is a Sixth Argument taken from the similitudes and comparisons under which the Church Visible is holden forth in Scripture which similitudes do shew there is not That strictness required in admitting Members to the Visible Church as the Separatists judge It 's compared to a Draught net cast into the Sea that gathereth fishes good and bad Matth 13. Secondly To a Field wherein is Wheat and Tares ibid. Thirdly It is compared Matth 22. to a Table of Guests where there are some with and some without a Wedding Garment Fourthly It is compared to a House wherein are Vessels of Honour and Dishonour and to a Fold of Sheep and Goats And in every Church there are many Called but few Chosen Now how shall Tares chaff Goats c. give convincing signes of that which they have not Certainly these Similitudes seem to speak That there needs not so much Waling or Picking out in admitting Members to the Visible Church providing they be free of Scandals Once take them in and and then let the Word work on them This great Waleing and Separation will be when the Net comes to the shoar when the great Harvest comes when the Sheep and Goats are severed This much for Arguments for the Truth III. We shall in the next answer Their Objections whereby they labor to prove that the Church Visible should only be made up of such Church members as can give satisfactory Signs of Grace to each other Obj. 1. Their first Objection which is the most specious is taken from these Glorious sâ—â—ies given to the Church in Scripture They are called Saints a chaste â—â—rgine spoused to Christ Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty and Christs mystical Body whose Members are all Gracious Now say they seing the Church hath these Stiles in Scripture Should any be joyned to the Church but such who to the uttermost of our discerning have Grace For answer If this Argument conclude any thing it will conclude that none should be Members of the Visible Church but those who have Real Grace for none is a partaker of Christsâ— Mystical Body the Lambs Wife c. But such only Now this our Opposites themselves will not affirm They grant there may be painted Hypocrites in the Church and the Scripture saith the same for Ananias and Saphira Judas and Simon Magus were such and so these places of Scripture if they prove any thing will prove more than They will grant But to answer directly ye would know that in the Church Visible there is a Company of Good and Bad sincere Christians and painted Hypocrites Now the Scripture speaks of them sometimes according to the Better Part and sometimes according to the Worse Part where it speaks of them according to the Better Part it speaks so of them as if there were not One Evil Man among them all hence are these Stiles The Lambs Wise Sons and Daughters of the Almighty Called to be Saints c. They are so according to the Better Part. Again when it speaks of the Visible Church according to the Worse Part it gives such names as if there were not One Good Man among them all it calls them Stif-necked a Rebelious house Children that are Corrupters Now As it were ill Argued to conclude from these places where such stiles are given to the Church that every one within the Church were Corrupters Stif-necked c. and not one seeking God For there he gives them those Stiles from the Evil Part among them So it is also ill argued from these places where the Scripture calls them the Lambs Wife Sons and Daughters of the Almighty c. That they were All of them so And we shall clear it more fully from the Church of Corinth 2 Cor 6 18. They get many Glorious stiles They are called The Sons and Daughters of the Almighty they are called A chast Virgin c. 2 Cor 11 2. Now there were many Schismaticks among them some denying the Resurrection some Vilifying Pauls Doctrine Many who were Contentious Drunkards Fornicators so that these Stiles cannot be Verified of the Members of the whole Church but only of the Better Part that was among them even as men speaking of an Heap of Chaff and Corn will call it An Heap of Corn Not that there is nothing but Corn in it but because the Corn is the Best Part And so the Church Visible wherein is a mixed Company is denominated from the Better Part sometimes in Scripture and called Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty and sometimes from the Worse Part and called Stiff-necked c. Obj. II Their second Objection is taken from Act 2. 47. Where it is said And the Lord added unto the Church daily such as should be saved Say they God added no other to the Church but such as would be saved therefore we should adde no others For Answer If any thing follow from this it would follow that none should be added to the Church but these who are Believers really for no other will be saved But this is against themselves And therefore our second Answer is this That the meaning of the words must be That He had a chief care of adding those to the Church who were to be Saved But it is not said that He added no other for the same Chapter sayes He added moe v 41 whole three Thousand were added and yet all those were not to be saved For there were Ananias and Saphira and doubtless many other Hypocrites among them Obj. III. The third Objection is taken from Matth 22. 12. In the Parable concerning the Kings Banquet where he bids his Servants go and invite to the Marriage and finding One wanting the Wedding Garment says he Friend how camest thou in hither not having a Wedding Garment Now say They this is a reproof to those who admitted him to this Priviledge We Answer This is quite contrair to the scope of the Parable if we look to the command v 9 Goe ye therefore into the high-ways c. They are commanded to invite all and to hold out none for want of the Wedding-Garment For that being Inward is only discernable by God Indeed this Parable will shew this much That Ministers may admit People to Communions and yet Christ will come with an after search and find many there whom he will cast that Ministers have admitted Ye ought not to think that every man that comes through a Ministers Tryal is in a good state The place says That Christ found One wanting the Wedding Garment But it sayes not That Ministers should let none come but those that had the Wedding Garment And to shew that this is the scope of the Parable see v 14. There it is said For many are called but few are chosen Ob. IV Their fourth Objection is taken from Rev. 2. 4 5. The Lord speaking there to the Church of Ephesus sayeth Nevertheless I have
immediatly after the Giving of the COMMUNION The Third SERMON LUKE 7. 23. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me. Beloved in the Lord THAT place 1 Cor. 1. 23. We Preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block hath had its accomplishment in all Ages and in no Age more than in this Jesus Christ and His way of working both with Churches and Particular Souls hath been a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to many yea moe and moe are stumbling still what through one occasion or other many who once did seem to run well in the way to Heaven in the way of Truth and in the way of Piety have either already taken up or are in hazard to take up such an halt as Christ may be conceived to say to those very few who seem resolv'd to follow him through Better and Worse as once he said Joh. 6. 67. Vnto the twelve when many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him will ye also go away I have therefore chosen this Text to speak from now immediatly after having engaged your selves to walk in Christs Way that thereby ye may guard against that woeful common evil of Being offended in Christ or of stumbling and taking up an halt in his Way of Truth and Piety notwithstanding all the stumbling blocks and rocks of offence ye may meet with For Blessed is he saith Christ whosoever shall not be offended in me The Words are a Part of Christs Answer to that Question propounded to Him by Two of John's Disciples at John's desire verse 20. Art thou he that should come or look we for another Ye may wonder that John who knew Christ so well should have moved such a Question But the Answer is First Tho Souls know Christ never so well they 'l desire and have need to know him better and to get what knowledge they have of him confirmed to them especially in the day of Trial For John was now in Prison And 2dly They 'l desire that others may know him also For it appeareth from what goeth before that John propoundeth this Question for his Disciples satisfaction and to satisfy their Doubts more than his own Christ's Answer hath two Parts 1. He bids them shew John what they saw him doing Verse 22. Tell Iohn saith he what things ye have seen and heard how that the blind see the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear the dead are raised to the poor the Gospel is preached If ye ask what makes this to the Answer of the Question I answer It maketh much for it shews he was doing that which Scripture foretold the Messias would do Isai. 35. 5 6. And therefore he behoved to be the Messias 2. In thir words he answereth a main Objection against this Truth taken from Christ's own low condition and the practice of his Followers which made many bear off him For they expected a Glorious Messias a Great earthly Monarch And because Christ was but obscure and mean therefore they stumbled and were offended in him To this Christ answereth Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended or scandalized in me The word rendered here offended or scandaliz'd seems to be a Metaphor taken from Travellers who having dashed their Foot or Leg at some stone or block in the way do stumble or take up an halt so as they can go no further at least advance not so quickly in the way as they did And Secondly while he sayes Offended in me take this first Actively And so the meaning is They should not take occasion of stumbling from any thing in Christ or in His Way 2. It may be taken Passively so as to point out the Way that we should not stumble nor take up an halt in For there are some wayes to wit Every sinful course and way that it were good for People to stumble in and turn their backs upon But this Way wherein we should not stumble is Christ Himself and the Way of Truth and Piety prescrib'd by him Blessed is he saith Christ who shall not be offended in me As if he had said Happy is that Man who taketh not occasion from Me or any thing in My Way to stumble or turn his back upon Me and that course of Truth and Piety wherein I have commanded him to walk The Words are but One entire Proposition and Sentence I need not therefore spend time in dividing them But shall come to the Doctrines First The Lord applyeth the general Prophesies Concerning the Messias in the Old Testament to Himself in particular shewing they were verified in Him For the Words in me have in them a direct Answer to the Question propounded by John's Disciples and shews the Messias was come and that He is That Messias Whence we might mark That JESUS CHRIST the Son of Mary who was Born in Bethlehem brought up in Nazareth and Crucified in Jerusalem is that very same Messias who was to Come and promised to the Fathers We might observe 2ly That before He gave this Answer that He was the promised Messias whom they were to follow and not to stumble at He doth first prove by Scripture that it was so while he hids John's Disciples tell their Master he was doing such miraculous Works as the Scriptures did foreshew none but Christ should do Whence we might learn That all Questions and Debates about Religion should be determined from Scripture and according to the Rule set down in Scripture For here when a Question ariseth among John's Disciples If JESUS the Son of Mary was the promised Messias neither John the Baptist than whom there was not a Greater Prophet among these that are Born of Women yea nor Christ himself who was Greater than he do take it upon them to determine in it But John sends them to Christ and Christ sends them to the Scripture for a Solution Thus To the law and to the testimony saith the Lord Isai. 8. 20. if they do not speak according to this word it is because there is no light in them The neglect of this Rule hath been the In-let to Humane Traditions without and contrary to Scripture both in Worship and Government in the Antichristian Church And if this Rule once be laid aside there can be no end of Humane Ceremonies untill all that trash which is in the Roman Church be brought in upon the Church of God For if the Authority of a Man can make way for One it may also make way for all the rest But passing those The two following Doctrines are these that I intend most to insist upon And both of them are implyed 1. That there are many stumbling Blocks in Christ's way whereat People are apt to Offend take up an Halt and stumble And yet Secondly There is nothing of that kind which ought to make us stumble For if there were not some stumbling Blocks Christ needed not so much guard against them and by his guarding against them he
endeavour is That Controversies be clearly stated And with great perspicuity and solidity doth he confirm the Truth by Scripture and Reason and confute the contrary Error and all this without bitterness or wrath but with such calmness and moderation of Spirit wherein he did excell So that as I am informed divers of the English Army though of a contrary Judgement did resort to hear him I know not what effects his Teaching of these Truths had on Them but by the Blessing of God these of his own Flock were so established in the Truth that not one of them was seduced from it And I cannot but record it to the praise of God and commendation of that Congregation and for the encouragement of any who may be invited to be their Pastor when I to their and my grief am to be separated from them to a more difficult Post I say I cannot but record it that as that Congregation of Kilwinning hath since the Reformation been blest with eminent learned and pious Men Mr Glasford Mr Bailie Mr Fergusson and Mr Rogirs So they have by the Blessing of God on their labours been kept not only Sound in the Faith but United among themselves when others have been wofully Divided And they have alwayes shewed a great love to the Gospel and all the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus and the Ministers thereof And I pray That their fruit may abound more and more If some Expressions Concerning the Opinion of Independents or Congregational Men seem severe It would be remembred that the Author doth not speak against Persons but against Things And in a time when many Errors followed that Division about Church Government and the Debate was hot about it and fear that it should have taken place in Scotland But considering the Zeal these of New-England have discovered against Error and their United way of acting in Association and Synods when they think there is need and the love that hath been in time of Common Tryal and the Late Essay which hath been made for an Accomodation betwixt Presbyterians and Them in England I suppose if our Reverend Author had lived until this time he would have concluded the Difference may be so lessened that it need not hinder their walking together in that wherein they are agreed nor their Endeavours to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace I do not know of any particular design of publishing these Discourses now when they have been kept hid for fourty years but that the Author's Son having long delay'd and declin'd to Publish them though frequently and seriously advis'd to do it by many he was advertised that some would publish the Imperfect Notes received from His mouth in the time of Hearing which being incorrect might not only prejudge the Authors name but the Truth and others Edification If these as is hoped they will be acceptable and useful what yet remains unprinted of these Discourses may see the Light in due time There are here subjoyned Four Sermons of the Reverend Author which the Publisher and others hope may be found of good use and may make way for the communicating more of his Pious and Judicious Sermons which are longed for by them who knew Him or his other Works It had surely been of great advantage to the Church had it pleased God to have spared this judicious and pious Author till now and that he had published more of his Works in his own time But seing our infinitely wise and good God hath disposed otherwise it becometh us to submit But if by this or any other of his Works God get Glory and the Church be edified The Publisher will rejoice and bless God as having attained his end And if the Reader peruse his Works with the same Spirit wherewith they seem to be spoken and written I am confident he will not fail of profit Now that the Spirit of Truth and Holiness would lead Thee and all His people into all Truth and help them to edify one another in love and that He would bless His Churches with Truth and Peace and send out many Faithful Labourers into His Harvest with a double measure of the Spirit that was in Mr. Fergusson and other eminently holy Men who then lived shall be the Prayer of Christian Reader Thy Souls cordial Well-wisher George Meldrum Edinburgh June 1692. The Contents SECT I. OF Doctrine in general and the Tryal thereof Being some Doctrines raised from the Text Introductorie to the main purpose Pag. 1 ad 26. Doctr. I. Error is to be Eschewed pag. 3. Doctr. II. Orthodoxy or a Right opinion in the matters of Truth is as much to be stuâ—â—ed as Holiness of Life pag. 5. Doctr. III. As at all times so chiefly when there is danger of spreading of Error there is most need that Love should be intertain'd betwixt Pastor and People Where are some directions for a Ministers carriage in order to the keeping of the affections of his People while he is Refuting their Errors pag. 12. Doctr. IV. The Spirit of Error began very early to trouble the Church Where are some Reasons for which the Lord suffers Errors to spread pag. 16. Doctr. V. The foulest Errors go out oftentimes under fairest Names and are backed with most specious Pretences pag. 19. Doctr. VI. When foul Error is holden out under fair names and backed with fair pretences there is a danger lest People drink them in and believe them Where are 5 things that speak this hazard pag. 23. Doctr. VII Ministers the Servants of God are not to clap Peoples heads or to indulge them in this inclination of Theirs to Error but on all hazards they are to testify against it Where are 3 Reasons for which People ought to reverence much what warnings of this kind are given by Ministers pag. 28. Doct. VIII It is not Gods Way That People because there are differences about Religion should therefore believe no Religion Where are 5 Directions for the unlearned to walk by in order to difference of opinions among the Learned pag. 31. Doctr. IX How fair soever the pretence is that a Doctrine is colloured with It should not be taken upon Trust but must be brought to a Tryal Where are some Directions how to walk betwixt Popish Tyranny and Sectarian Confusion pag. 34. Doctr. X. The right Tryal to be taken of Doctrines preached or any otherwise vented is To try whether they be of God or not Where is shown what is requisite to a Doctrines that it may be said to be Of God pag. 38. Doct. XI There are many Doctrines pretending to the Spirit which yet being brought to the Touchstone will be found Not to be of God p. 44 SECT II. The Doctrine of Toleration Try'd and foundnot to be Of God Wherein as in all the Errors following First The Question is stated 2. Arguments are brought for Confirming the Truth and vindicated from the Opposites Exceptions 3. The Opposites Objections are Answered and Refuted from Scripture
and Reason 4. The Truth being vindicated is applyed to a Practical Vse pag. 47. SECT III. The Doctrine of Errastianism Try'd and found not to be Of God pag. 86. Head l. There is a Church Government 〈◊〉 forth in Scripture ibid. Head II. The power of Church Government belongeth not to the Civil Magistrate pag. 103 SECT IV. The Doctrine of Independency Try'd and found not to be Of God pag. 123. Head I. The power of Church Government is in the Church Officers and not in the Body of Church Members ibid. Head II. The highest power of Church Government is not in Church Sessions or Congregational Elderships pag. 150. Paragr I. There is a Plate-form of the Government of many Congregations by One Common Presbytry holden out in Scripture pag. 152. Paragr II. There is a Plate-form of Government by Synods over many particular Presbytries held forth in Scripture pag. 167. Paragr III. Infertor Church Judicatories are subject Superior pag. 173 SECT V. The Doctrine of Separation Try'd and sound Not to be of God pag. 191 Head I. Shewing what is required for making one a Member of the Visible Church ibid Head II. No Separation from a true Church or Gods Worship in the Church because of the Sins of Fellow-worshipers pag. 214 A Sermon Preach'd before the Synod at Glasgow April 5. 1653. From 1 Cor 1. 10. pag. 235. Sermon Second Preach'd at Irving foom Psalm 51 6. Immediatly before the Giving of the Communion Being a Preparation Sermon in order thereto pag. 287 Sermon Third Preach'd at Kilwinning 11 May 1663 From Luke 7. 23. Vpon the Munday Immediatly after the Giving of the Communion pag. 313. Sermon Fourth Preach'd at Kilwinning From Acts 11 23. Vpon the Munday Immediatly after the Giving of the Communion pag. 340. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE ERRORS OF Tolleration c. SECT I. Of Doctrine in General and the Tryal thereof 1 John ch 4. ver 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God THE Body of this Epistle as we shew'd when first we entred upon the handling of it runs upon three Heads The first is upon Marks whereby to discern real Grace to wit who had it and who not The second runs upon Exhortations to several Duties of Sanctification chiefly Love to the Brethren that Christians would Love them that Love God Love Grace wherever they saw it The third Head whereon it runs is Exhortations to Constancy in avowing Truth against Error In this fourth Chapter there are two of these Heads according to which we may take up the Chapter in two parts In the First There is an Exhortation to stand by Truth and to beware of those who would seduce People from it And that to ver 7. In the second part There is a renewing of the former Exhortations To Love the Brethren And a Confirmation of it by a number of new Arguments to the end Both which have been handled already and yet the Apostle returns again to them because Exhortations against Error cannot be enough inculcate and therefore he reiterats them again and again In the first part of this Chapter There is 1. An Exhortation 2. There are Arguments to enforce the Exhortation The Exhortation is set down in the former part of the first verse Believe not every Spirit that is lend not an Ear to every point of Doctrine covered over with a fair Name but bring every Doctrine to the Touch-stone There are two Things considerable in this Exhortation First There is the compellation he gives them a warm and kindly Stile Beloved And then Secondly There is the Exhortation it self And in it there are two Things 1. What they should not do And 2. What they should do For the First What they should not do Believe not every Spirit Some take the Spirit here for Preacher Believe not every Preacher And some for Doctrine Believe not every Doctrine But both may well be joyned together thus Believe not every Preacher who pretends the Spirit for his Doctrine For the second What they should do It is to Try the Spirits whether they are of God He bids them not cast at all Doctrines because there are some Errors vented for Truths as the natural Heart is ready to do But he Exhorts that they would bring every Spirit to the right Touch stone Thus much for opening up the words We intend if the Lord give us liberty to speak somewhat largely on this Verse of those Doctrines or Errors which are most like to trouble our Church therefore we shall raise some Doctrines before hand which may make way for what we intend Doct. I. The First is from the Apostles dehorting Believers from false Doctrine by many Arguments Hence observe That Christians would by all means eschew any thing that may tend to seduce them from the pure Truths of Jesus Christ Particularly that they would beware of Error Heresy and any thing of that sort Hence there are so many Exhortations in Scripture to stand by the Truth to be rooted in the Faith and to eschew contrary Error So it is a Duty lying on Christians to be guarding and watching against Error or what is contrary to Truth Reas The Reason is because Errour is a Sin and a very dangerous one We shall shew the danger of it in three Things I. It is dangerous because of the desert of it It is Damnable 2 Peter 2. 1. False Prophets are spoken of there as those who bring in damnable Heresies that is highly condemnable We shall afterwads show in what respect Heresies are Damnable 2. Errours are dangerous Sins because they steal subtily in upon People and people do too readily relish them So there are many whose nature abhorres gross Sins against the second Table as Fornication and such like and yet the Devil gets them hooked by this sin of Error Nature is born with a cry against gross Sins committed against the second Table and so naturally there is some kind of loathing in People at them but it is not so in the sins of Error Sathan can transform himself into an Angel of Light and plead Conscience whereas he intends to bear down Truth So the sins of Error are dangerous because subtile 3. They are dangerous in this respect that as they creep easily in So when once they are in it 's hard to get them shut to the door again And that because deluded Conscience pleads for them People tainted with Error think themselves right and therefore whatever is brought against them Conscience casts at all as wrong Now in other Sins to wit such as are against the Second Table altho Affection plead for them yet usually Peoples Light does witness against them And so in this respect it is more hard to get a sin of Error thrust out where it is once rooted than the sin of Prophanity it self Vse This Doctrine may serve to fit you for receiving the following Doctrines which if the Lord will we are to speak of
sails so the root of Korah Dathan and Abiram's Error whereby they laboured to bear down Magistracy and Ministry was an unmortified root of pride within them They had a fair pretext for it a pretext of Liberty Are not all the Lords People Holy And may they not rule as well as yee A fair pretext indeed but the root was pride They could not endure to be ruled over and so they will rule themselves Thus when Jeroboam makes separation from the Church of Jerusalem he hath a fair pretext for this 1 King 12 28 It is too much saith he for you to go up to Jerusalem There is the pretext but the root of the matter was a lust within stirring him up to secure to himself the enjoyment of that which was not his own and this Ambition breeds fear that if they go up to Jerusalem to worship his power would quickly turn to nothing So ver 27. If this People go up to do Sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem then shall the heart of this People turn again unto to their Lord even unto Rehoboam King of Judah and they shall kill me There is the matter a desire of Reigning was the cause of his Idolatry and Schism an unmortified lust within was the root and rise of his Error And secondly Scripture holds out That as Error is the Daughter of Prophanity so it is the Mother of prophanity as it rises from Prophanity so it tends to more Prophanity Christs words import this John 8. 31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him if ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed If ye adhere and keep closs to the Truth then shall ye attain to walk as my Disciples And it imports on the other hand That if ye drink in Error ye shall not be my Disciples indeed And so as Prophanity is the Mother of Error So it is also the Daughter of Error This serves to clear the point That a Child of God should as much watch and guard against Error as he should do against other gross Sins or prophanity of Life For Use This Doctrine serves for reproof first to those who would have Tolleration of all Opinions in the Matter of Religion and no coercive mean to curb Error And that because say they it may curb Piety Which followes no more than that the suppressing of Fornication will curb Piety the one is as dangerous as the other and God's People may fall in the one as well as the other and therefore the one should be as well curbed as the other Nay I may say that that which is called Liberty of Conscience is the most capital Sin in a Kingdom It is all one as if a King would proclaim liberty to Drink to Swear to Whore and to Steal for both are alike evil and where the one is commonly the other is also and therefore to proclaim liberty to the one is to proclaim liberty to the other We think there is no heart zealous of Gods Glory but should abhorre such a thought as this Vse 2. Secondly the Doctrine reproves those who think Opinions are free Many reason thus If ye lead an Holy Life it matters not what be your Opinion whether for Presbytery Independency Arminianism Prelacy or Popery your Soul is in no hazard if ye be kept from gross Out breakings but this Doctrine showes this sort of Reasoning to be a gross mistake For besides that Error speaks an unmortified root in the Heart Heresie and Error in themselves are damnable and are reckoned up among those Sins which debar from the Kingdom of Heaven Galat. 5. verse 21. Hereticks as well as Murderers are excluded and therefore Folks would not jest and play with matters of Religion so as not to care what side they be on Thirdly this Doctrine gives another use as ye would eschew Prophanity of Life so beware of Errors against the Truth For the one of those ends in the other Grant the Error pretend to much of strictness the upshot or Issue of it is still to Prophanity and therefore ye would advise well when tentations to Error are presented before ye drink in any thing contrary to Truths received if ye would not have it read in the looseness of your Life afterward Many whose Lives were very strict when they began first to change their Way were in a short time led by their new Light to a Prophane Godless Life Vse 4. Fourthly Seeing Errors have their rise from some unmortified root within therefore as ye would be keeped free from Error subdue Corruptions within We are ready to think that Godless Men will stand out best against Error But it will prove otherwise unmortified Lusts of any other thing will prove the greatest Friends to Error such as a Lust of Pride to be Eminent of Covetousness to get your Arms full of the World run as it will a Lust of Laziness in Duties that will make you drink in that Error that casts at all Duties as needless So for an Antidote against the works of the Flesh whereof Heresie is one Galat. 5. verse 21. The Crucifying of the Lusts of the Flesh is brought as one Doct. III. We come to the words themselves and and therein is to be considered first the Stile Beloved A warm and kindly compellation The point we are to raise is from comparing the Stile with the Matter which the Apostle is about He is to warn them to beware of Error and yet he gives them a loving Stile Beloved believe c. And it gives us this Doctrine That as at all times so chiefly when there is danger of spreading of Error there is most need that Love should be entertained betwixt Pastor and People So we find Paul labours to bear in himself on Peoples Affections especially in Galat. 4. ver 10. and 11. Ye observe Dayes and Months c. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed on you Labour in vain There he reproves them for their Error And in the 12 verse he bears in on their Affection Brethren I beseech you be as I am for I am as ye are ye have not injured me at all And so in the 2 Corinth 12. v. 16. Through the whole Epistle he hath been speaking against their Error and all along he bears in on their Affection especially in the place cited And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you though the more abundantly I loved you the less I be loved c. Abundance of places shew his practice to have been this way The Reason is First because when People begin to differ they are ready to cast at these who differ from them chiefly those who would curb them For there is still a Spirit of Pride with Error it cannot endure to be contradicted or the least thing to be spoken to its own prejudice if not all the more warily it will foam and rage and if it cannot bear down the contrary Truth yet it will
on the fingers to make him more warry and to scar all Justified Persons in time coming from doing the like We might so run through all the Errors of the time as that of Independency whereby power is denyed to Presbytries O say they to put power in Presbytries and make them receive Appeals from Congregations it is to Tyrannize over particular Flocks and therefore say they nothing is better than that every Congregation have compleat power within themselves and be left to their own guiding not being countable to any Judicatory above them but only to Christ This seems a specious Bait for such as would have liberty but when it is duly pondered it will be found most contrary to Truth For by this means if a particular Flock should Err and if one should sufâ—er wrong at the hands of a particular Session there is no remedy to repair the oppressed man and to bring the Erring Congregation to a right mind and how far this is derogatory to Jesâ—s Christ who was perfect in all his house any man may judge We might run through more of them But because we have a mind to refute these Errors by themselves we shall insist no further here having said enough to clear the point that the most dangerous Errors may be born in under the fairest pretences and therefore ye would not take all to be Gold that glisters take not all for Truth that is decked up with a bundle of brave high ravishing expressions Doct. 6 We proceed Believe not every Spirit sayes he He speaks not this in vain It supposes he saw an inclination in them to believe The point of Doctrine that ariseth from it is That when foul Error is holden out under fair Names and backed with fair pretences There is a danger lest people drink them in and believe them for John saw that hazard and therefore gives them a Watch-word So in the 16 of the Rom. ver 18. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own Belly and by good words and fair Speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Their baits hook'd the simple before they were aware We need no further proof of this than the Example of our neighbour Church in England Errors which could not have been named but People would have loathed at them such as the Arminian Error against free Grace c. Yet being decked with the name of new light they are greedily drunk in by too too many Wee shall give some Reasons to make you sensible of this hazard How great danger there is when Error is in spreading that People be taken off their feet with it We shall point at four or five things that speaks this hazard And the first is the proneness of our nature to Drink in Untruths We see this in Eva for Error is natures brood And as we said Error is the copy of some Lust and therefore it soon infects Truth again it hath nothing in us no party for it in our hearts and therefore it is harder to make us take with it there must be word upon word and precept upon precept we drink in Truth slowly and after much pains taken upon us we are hut to begin to learn it but the Spirit of a man is quick to take up Error Ye will find men more able in a short time to debate for Error than in a long time to debate for Truth I would seek no greater presumption that such a tenent is an Error than this that as soon as it is set on fire it runs through great numbers and sets their Spirits on edge for it we are not so hot for Truth it is not our nature to be so taken with it Reason 2 Then there is a Second thing that speaks this hazard and it is the shallowness of Peoples apprehension together with their foolish hast before they try From the shallowness of many it is that they cannot put a difference betwixt a fair pretence and a foul Error that is hid under it and from the hast of Peoples Spirit it is that they ingage suddainly with any thing having the colour of Truth and being once ingaged they are still the more and more involved These two laid together are another thing to point out this hazard Reason 3. We may add a Third and this is desire of Novelty in People spoken of in 2 Timoth Chap 4 v. 3 after their own Lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears And they shall turn away c. Where by the way observe that Lust within is the cause of drinking in Error from without But the thing we mark is That they have an itching ear lusting after new things and this comes from their little practising of old Truths Reas 4 There is a Fourth Reason and it is the diversity of baits and pretences that is put upon several Errors according to Peoples several humors So subtile is Sathan that he puts a bait on for every appetit there are some that are Piously strict and are enclined so to be both towards themselves and others and he hath a bait to catch those to wit a pretence of strickness which the Error of Separation is covered with for this Error alloweth Church fellowship with none but these that have a real evidence of Grace in them It is a way think they to shame natural Men. Again there be some whose humor is for looseness he puts on a bait to gratify this humor also let them believe in Christ and let them live as they like sayes the Antinomian and so according to Peoples several humors there is a bait put on by the Devil upon Error Now when these baits and Peoples humors agree it is like powder and fire presently they kindle Reas. 5 There is a fifth thing which speaks this hazard and it is this The Lord that Error may be a tryal in his holy Justice lets out more than ordinary parts and abilities on spreaders of Error and on the Spirits of People when they are taken with it The Lord for a Judgement to themselves and for a tryal unto others gives them as we speak a cast of their craft he elevates them above their ordinary Sphere or what is their ordinary way And this we speak not without Scripture It is said of false Antichristian Teachers they shall come with lâ—ing signs and wonders And there is a Spirit of Error which he foretells shall accompany Error Be not soon shaken in mind neither by Spirit nor by word c. In that place that we already cited 2 Thess 2 2. When we look on all these things we hope we have made out the point viz. that foulest Errors even when they are colloured with fairest pretences there is a danger lest People drink them in The use of the point is If there be this hazard then ye would be afraid of your selves it is said The Righteous fear alwayes I would seek no clearer mark of any person that is
least not such an ample grant as it is Matth 28. 19. Goe ye therefore and teach all nations c and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World It doth not exeem them indeed from Erring themselves but the promise is there more largly given to them than to others And Secondly Ministers as called watch men have the charge of Peoples Souls God hath charged them with them which he hath not charged others with there is not a charge of Peoples Souls laid on private men by way of office every one is bound indeed by way of Charity to take a care of the Souls of others contrair to that of Cain am I my brothers keeper But beside this tye of Charity lying on sent Ministers there is a tye by vertue of a particular charge So that place Act 20. Take heed to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers He hath given them a special Charge and so they are charged in a special way with Peoples Souls Then there is a Third Reason it is Sathan's Method to bring in Error on People by casting in prejudices betwixt them and sent Ministers which we have cleared sometimes from Scripture and so it should be watched against lest Sathans subtility prevail so far as to bring People to dis-respect their Ministers for if that be once gained he hath prevailed very much Doct VIII Now further he sayes Believe noâ— every Spirit But bring them to the tryal Doe not cast at all but try the Spirits Hence take this Doctrine It is not Gods way that People because there are differences about Religion should therefore believe no Religion that is not Gods way So Matth 16. we see the Apostles practise Christ sayes unto them whom say they that I am Say they some say thaâ— thou art John the Baptist some Elias others Jeremiah or one of the Prophets But whom say ye that I am They do not Answer we know not what to say there are so many different sayings about thee but say they Thou art Christ the son of the living God Reas So People are not to cast at all Religion because there are differences about it and that because First that were to give way to the Devils plot His design in raising up Error about Religion is to make People Atheists so as not to care for any Religion and so when the use which thou makest of different Opinions is that thou wilt believe none Thou fulfillest the Devils design Secondly thou makes use of Gods Providence to thy destruction The Lords Providence in raising up Error is to make men seek more after the knowledge of the Truth And when thou makest that use of it to cast at all Religion thou mockest the Holy Counsel of God to thy own ruin The Use then of the Doctrine is to reprove those of this stamp to wit Prophane Atheistical men that make no differences about Religion but this Let Church-men once agree among themselves what 's right and what 's wrong untill then the back of our hand to altogether that is a wofull way Indeed there may be a doubt proposed here viz. What else shall poor ignorant People do about differences in Religion but to lay aside the care of all when they see every party have their own Reasons stronger than these poor People can Answer I Answer there are some directions grounded on Scripture which if we walk by may bring us to a safe shore amidst these rocks of contrary Opinions And the first is this that for Differences that concern not Peoples practice I would not have People trouble themselves much with them as for example Our late unhappy Differences about the publick Resolutions the Lord hath taken the occasion of them away so I would not have any troubling themselves much about them Whatever Differences in matters of practice fall in it seems to be a safe rule that when the occasion of such Practices are removed all Contention about them should be laid aside Secondly As to the Differences wherein Peoples practice is concerned take these Rules First For these that are uncontraverted Truths make Conscience of the practice of them which will help to the knowledge of other things this rule Christ prescrives John 7. 17. sayes he If any man do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God c. There is something that thy Conscience is clear of to be Duty and although the Differences of Opinion might be some excuse to make thee keep off from these things about which there is difference yet how art thou excused for neglect of these things which thou art convinced to be Duty as Prayer Reading the Word c. Secondly We would know whatever be the contrary Opinions about matters of Religion yet there is but one true way and the knowledge of this one way may be attained to by those who seek humbly after it At least if thou be judging thy self and as a damned Bankrupt or Dâ—vour by Nature be closing with Christ and drawing Grace from him to make thee Holy Thou wilt attain to the knowledge of as much of these things debated as will take thee home to Heaven A Third Direction is That ye should beware of calling in question any of these Truths that once have been Sealed into your Spirits by the Spirit from the Word of God 2 John ver 8. Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought The point of Truth that People have got thus Sealed to their Conscience should not readily be called in question A Fourth Direction is this That in seeking out Truth under Differences we should beware of Loftyness of Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 32 it is said The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets How much more ought the Spirits of private persons to be subject to the voice of Christs Ambassadors speaking in his Courts This is not as if we would make Ministers Sayings the Peoples Rule to walk by But this much will follow that in a constitute Church where Discipline is Exercised there should be that Humility in People that whâ—n doubts arise concerning any point of received Truth within the Church they should offer their Judgement and the Reason of it to the Prophets and Christs Courts to be tryed before they lay down any new Opinion as a solid Truth That much is contained under this The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets if it mean any thing at all Doct IX Now we proceed The next thing that we come to is what People should do Try the Spirits and the Rule of Tryal is whether they are of God The first point we learn is that how fair soever the pretence be that our Doctrine is colloured with it should not be taken upon Trust but the Spirits must be Tryed Such we see was the practice of the Bâ—reans and they are commended for it they would not take the Apostles Doctrine on
trust Act 17. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures dayly whither those things were so They would not take the Apostles Doctrine on trust and this is a command given by Paul writing to the Thess 1 Epistle ch 5. v. 21. Prove all things after he had said despise not Prophecyings So that Doctrines should be brought to a Tryal whatever be their fair pretences Reas The Reasons are first because foulest Errors may be coloured over with fairest pretences And Secondly the Scripture sayes all men are Lyars that is to say all men may Err and therefore words cannot be the Ground of Divine Faith for Faith must have an infallible ground as Ephes 2. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets c. i. e. the word Preached by them and dictated by the Spirit of God Vse This Doctrine reproves first the Papists that will have nothing Tryed that comes from the Church but all taken upon trust hence is it that many swallow such Monsters of Absurdities as the Errors of Transubstantiation Purgatory Merite Mals and such like for which they have no other ground but because their Church sayes so But this Doctrine holdeth out another duty that who ever heareth any Doctrine proponed by one or other they are bound to pass their Judgment on it Try the Spirits Now that we may walk betwixt extreams the Papists on the one hand who set up Tyranny and these Sectaries on the other hand who set up Confusion we would know there is a twofold Judgement to be passed on Doctrine Publick Judgement and Private Judgement Publick Judgement again is either peremptorily absolute or limited A publick peremptory Judgement is That which binds the Conscience to obey simply that which is spoken and none have this Judgement but God himself Secondly There is a publick Judgement which is limited and this is a publick declaring and holding out that which is found to be God's mind in his word which does not bind absolutely but in so far as it agrees with the Word and this Judgement belongs to publick Church Judicatories met together in Christs Name They are like the Lyon-Herauld set forth to proclaim the Royal Acts if he proclaim that which is contained in the principal Acts it binds but if he add any thing of his own it binds not Next there is a private Judgement of Discretion and this belongs to every Christian every man in relation to his own practice is bound to pass Sentence on what is held out to him by others that if it be right he may embrace it but if wrong he may reject it but his private Judgement is not binding to others Now this private Judgement or this Judgement of Discretion is necessary because all men may Err Councils may Err Synods c. And Secondly Their Error will not excuse private Christians to follow them in their Error sayes Christ When the Blind leads the Blind both falls into the Ditch And therefore there must be a Judgement of Discretion in private persons to try what they hear And this much for guarding against the Popish Tyranny but least this Doctrine be abused to cast at all publick Church Judicatories we shall next speak somewhat to guard against Sectarian Confusion First Although publick Church Judicatories have not Power to bind Consciences yet when men are in a doubt concerning a point of Truth their Judgement ought to have more weight than the Judgement of private Men And that not only because there are more Gifts exercised together but mainly because there is a promise annexed to the Commission given by Christ to publick Church Judicatories Matth. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them And Secondly From this it followes that there would be a kind of loathness to differ from publick Church Judicatories a man's grounds would be well examined lâ—st if differing from these Judicatories they also differ from Truth And Thirdly when they differ they are to bear them at Reverence although in such a point they should Err yet for their Authority they are to be Reverenced This much is granted by us to Church Judicatories but no further They are not to be made the Rule of our Faith Vse 2. It reproves those who are Lazie and cannot endure the trouble of trying what they hear but take things on trust and have no more but such a mans Authority he is of that Way and Opinion and therefore they are Fire and Flint Tooth and Nail for it as much as if they had the Word of God for it We have seen much of this in the unhappy Differences that have fallen out in our time which I have no pleasure to speak much of and therefore we proceed to another Doctrine Doct. X. The next thing then that we observe is from what he sayes Try c. whether they be of God that is the Tryal The Doctrine is this That the right tryal of Doctrine is To try whether they be of God or not and this point puts us to give Marks whereby it shall be known what Doctrine is of God and what Doctrine is not of God and here we shall speak to two things First We shall show what are the marks that necessarly infer a Doctrine to be of God And secondly we shall speak of other things that do not infer necessarly a Doctrine to be of God but for the most part follow upon such a Doctrine For the First That which makes Doctrine necessarily to be of God is if it be according to the rule of the Word So when the Bereans are commended Acts 17. The rule they went by in the tryal of Paul's Doctrine is the Scripture And this is Isaâ—a's rule chap. 8. ver 20. To the Law and to the Testimony c. He would have all Doctrines tryed by the Word of God So the Word is the rule and that Doctrine which has the Word for it is of God and whatever Doctrine has not the Word for it is not of God All Spirits even the Spirit of God himself must be tryed that way And that because the Word is a perfect rule I give only two places of Scripture to clear the perfection of this rule First The heavy Plagues pronounced against those who add to this rule The Word is so perfect that if an Angel should come and pretend a purer Rule Let him be sayes Paul Anathema Gal. 1. 8. There is another place which proves the perfection of this rule according to this point in hand 2 Timoth. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for Instruction in righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect c. So there is as much in the word of God as may make the man of God perfect And this in relation
to Doctrine and Instruction It is profitable for Doctrine and Instruction It will make a man perfect in that as well as in reproof Vse This reproves First the Papists they cast by the rule of the Word and will have their Traditions and their Poâ—es Decrees to be the rule But of this enough already in the preceeding Doctrine In the second place it reproves the Sectaries some whereof reprove the Word they will have a higher tryal and rule to examine by and it is the inbearing of Gods Spirit say they He is the Spirit of Truth and can he bear in a Lye But say we how know they the Spirit of the Devil by the Spirit of God except they bring it to the Word So the Word is the Rule yea and the last Rule But here is a doubt which we shall speak to This is a very hard task may some say for poor ignorant People to try Doctrines by the Word the Word it self is obscure and every one pretends the Word all Parties will say that they have the Word and so it is hard for us to know what is of God and what not if we have no other rule but the Word I answer it is very true there are very few Sectaries who will not pretend the Word And yet it does not follow that ye may cast by the Word But Secondly we say although the Word be in some places obscure and although Men of Opinions as contrary to the Word as Light is to Darkness may every one of them wrest the Word yet there is as much of the Word clear if it be rightly studied as will make a man know what is right and what is wrong Hence that Epithet given to the Word The word of the Lora is a Lamp to direct thy Paths The Word of the Lord is not unfitly compared to a Sea wherein Elephants i. e. men of greatest parts and Learning may swime and readily lose their fect how great soever their parts be if they rely upon them And yet it may be compared to a shallow calm running Stream wherein Lambs that is men of mean Gifts may wade and find out Gods mind in it if they be humble and take Gods way for searching of it But say ye what is that way of God wherein people may hope so as not to miscarry in the searching out of Gods mind in his Word In answer to this we shall give several Directions First A man that would not mistake Gods mind in his Word should be a diligent Reader of it Acts 17. 11. and searched the Scriptures daily c. it was their daily task And Secondly Reading of the Word should have Prayer going alongs with it Prov 2. 3. Yea if thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding ver 4. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Then c. this crying and seeking is certainly in Prayer as well as in other means When people joyn Prayer with the Reading of the Word they will more readily attain to the knowledge of Gods mind Than a man that takes no more with him but his own natural parts Thirdly The word should be read with Meditation Psal 1. 2. in his Law doth he meditate day and night And Fourthly with Self-denial Prov. 3. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding We should go to the Word with a deep sense on us of our own Ignorance to seek Light from it There are several other directions how People may be led to get the meaning of the word we shall speak of some First Obscure places being compared with these that are more clear will be clear also There are some places obscure but the Lord hath been so Graciously condescending in contriving the Scriptures that there are other places to make them clear So there is an obscure place we are not under the Law but under Grace which at first seems to sound as if People needed not to take heed to the Law But there is another place that clearly shows how we are not under the Law There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. They are freed from the condemning power of the Law but not from the directions of it Secondly in obscure and dark places of Scripture on which men according to their several Conceptions would Father several senses the meaning that agrees most with the â—nalogy of Faith should be taken this is that which Paul calls the forme of wholsom words So there is a place controverted he laid on him the iniquitâ— of us all Says the Antinomians all our sins were laid on Christ and so do what we will we are not bound to seek pardon or mourn for tâ—em for our sins are laid on him and so we have none Now this gloss is contrary to the whole current of Scripture which holds out that believers have sin in them a body of Death 1 John 1 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us It holdeth out believers at their best condition as Mourning for sin and praying for the pardon of sin Rom. 7. Psalm 25. 11. So that this Antinomian sense cannot be right because it is contrar to the whole current of Scripture and therefore the laying of our iniquities on him must be the guilt and punishment of our iniquity and not the being of sin it self which was bound upon Christ So another place the promoters of Tolleration pleads from is that in Phil. 3 15. that Counsel that Paul gives Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded And if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you say they there is Tolleration whatever be Peoples differences let them walk according to their Light we say again that what Paul sayes of mutual forbearance must not be extended to all Errors but it must only be applyed to these that were Errors of infirmitie As Rom 15. 1. we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves And that the opposite meaning cannot be right because it is contrair to the current of many other Scriptures which command Hereticks to be Excommunicat An Heretick after the first and second admonition reject and not so much as bid them God speed So this is another way to know the meaning of the Scripture And this much now for directions to help you in the study of Gods word that you may attain to know Gods mind in it and so to know whether a Doctrine be of God or not We thought to have spoken of these other marks which do not infer necessarly a Doctrine to be of God but for the most part do follow on such a Doctrine but the time being now ended I shall only name them First That Doctrine which is of God will have Holiness following upon it And so that Doctrine of the
Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Pubican That is Excommunicate him Now for what faults he is to be Excommunicate they are set down v. 15. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee c. So it is a scandalous Trespass wherein the offender does persist and remain obstinate on which according to Christ's Rule Excommunication should strick Now sure it is there are many Errors not contrary to fundamental Truths such as many points of Arminianism Antinomianism c. which yet persisted in are Scandalous both to particular Christians and the Church and therefore according to Christs Rule Excommunication should strick upon other Errors than those contrary to the fundamental Points of Religion which is contrary to their assertion Thirdly Neither can we assent that Excommunication should strick on no other Errors but those contrary to the light of Nature and that not only because of what is presently said that Excommunication should strick against every scandalous Sin done against a Brother or the Church wherein the offender does persist and remain obstinate but also according to that Rule whereby they maintain that Excommunication should strick on no other Error but these that are contrary to the very Light of Nature it would follow that the publisher of these Errors following or the like against fundamental Truths should not be censured to wit That the Scriptures are not the word of God That Jesus Christ was an Impostor a Deceiver That we are not justified by free Grace say according to that rule such Hereticks should not be censured no not Ecclesiastically because these Errors are not against Natures Light but Scripture Light only for Natures Light teacheth not the Truths which are contrary to these Errors This much for Church Tolleration but as said is concerning this is not the present Contraversy The main question then is concerning State Tolleration Concerning which some do affirm That whatever the Church may do in Inflicting Church Censures on Hereticks Maintainers of Heterodox Opinions Yet say they no civil Punishment such as Death Imprisonment Mulcts or Fines should be inflicted on any Error or Blasphem whatsoever providing the Maintainers of them carry themselves peaceably do not trouble the State or do evil against the Commonwealth in civil Things We again on the contrary do hold That it is the Duty of the Civil Magistrate to suppress Error Heresie and every sin against the First Table as well as it is his Duty to suppress Adultery Fornication Sedition and other sins against the second Table And that he is not only bound to suppress Errors and Blasphemies that are contrary to fundamental Truths or the Light of Nature but all Error contrary to other points of Truth Now for clearing the State of this Question and freeing it from some odious Imputations that may be cast upon it Before we come to Arguments we shall lay down these Assertions First We do not say that the Magistrate is bound to punish Hereticks at the first step Pains should first be taken to inform them the Judgement of the Church is Antecedent and their Labour is to convince Gainsayers So this must go before the Magistrates Duty they must be found Obstinate before the Magistrate medle with them or punish them Civilly Especially if their Errors be not horrid Blasphemies against God and Natures Light in such the Magistrate is not bound to give so much Forbearance Secondly We do not say that all Errors and Heresies are to get alike punishment but according to the degrees of the guilt that is in them even as it is in sins committed against the Second Table Murder is a more hainous Fault than Fornication and therefore the Magistrate is bound to punish it more highly Even so is it in Sins done against the First Table Blasphemies done against God or a denying of the true God is a higher Sin than Worshiping of the true God after a false manner and therefore the Magistrate is bound to punish it more severely Thirdly As we do not say that every Error and Heresie is to receive the like punishment so neither do we say that every one that maintains the same Error is to be alike punished for there are some that are Seducers or Drawers on of others to Error Disturbers of the Peace of the Church Ring-leaders there are others again that are only seduced and drawn away to Error and these last although they should not be Tollerate yet the power of the Magistrate is to be exercised more sparingly towards them So Secondly There are some rooted in Error confirmed in it who will not hear Instruction There are others that are but weak and are seeking Light whose way evidenceth them to be Conscientious only for the time they are Ignorant and in Humility seeking after Light and these last the Magistrate as all other Christians is to bear much with according to Rom. 15. 1. We then that are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak c. Now this being said to clear the question we come to Arguments to make out this Truth to wit That the Magistrate is bound to suppress and punish Error Heresie and other sins against the First Table as well as he is bound to punish Adultery Theft and other sins against the Second Table The First Argument we bring is from the approven practice of Kings and Magistrates under the Old Testament from which we form an Argument thus If it was the approven practice of Kings and and Magistrates under the Old Testament to suppress Error Heresie and Blasphemy then Magistrates under the New Testament are bound to do the like But so it is that it was the approven practice of Kings and Magistrates under the Old Testament to suppress Error Heresie and Blasphemy and other sins against the first Table Therefore Magistrates under the New Testament are bound to do the like For confirming of this Argument there are two things to be made out First That it was the practice of the Magistrate under the Old Testament to suppress Error and Heresie Secondly As it was their practice so their practice herein is approven of God otherwise it were not binding unto others for Kings and Magistrates did several things wherein they were not approven and so not binding unto us now The first thing then we are to clear is that this was the practice of Magistrates under the Old Testament And we shall begin First with Abraham's practice Genes 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Iustice and Iudgement c. Secondly with Jacob who was a Magistrate in his own Family And we shall see him employing his Power to suppress false Religion In the 35 of Gen. vers 2. Then Jacob said unto his Houshold and to all that were with him put away the strange Gods that are among you
worshiped a false God that therefore Magistrates are bound to punish Hereticks worshipping the true God though in a false way This is the strength of their exception to which we reply First That though it were true which they say that the practice of the Kings of Israel did extend but to Idolaters and those that seduced and drew away others to serve false Gods yet it does not follow but it may be binding to Magistrates now to punish Hereticks worshipping a true God in a false way and that because of this rule necessarly to be admitted in expounding of Scripture that when the command of God does strick against any one sin most usual in the time by rule of proportion it stricks against all sins of that kind As in the second Command there is nothing expresly forbidden but the Worshipping of God by graven Images and that because the worshipping of God by Images was the sin most in use at that time yet under graven is forbidden all wayes of worshipping of God invented by men and so although it were true that the practice of Godly Kings did strick but against Idolatry yet by rule of proportion all sins of that kind should be suppressed To which add that when the high degree of any sins by divine Law is to be punished by death common equity will infer that lesser degrees of sin are to be punished by a lesser punishment at least Secondly to what they say that the Magistrate did only punish Idolatry under the Old Testament We Answer that it is false they did punish other Errors also and such as would be thought light of now and this we shall instance in several particulars First They punished will worship in serving the true God and this we see by comparing two places of Scripture The first is the 2 Kings 23 8 9. Speaking of Josiah And he brought all the Priests out of the Cities of Judah and defiled the high places where the Priests had burnt incense So he employes his Power against the high places for the removal of their way of worship The other place of Scripture to be compared with is the 2 Chrov 33. 17. Which tells us the nature of their high places Nevertheless the People did sacrifice still in the high places yet unto the Lord their God only So that this worshipping on the high places was not that kind of Idolatry whereby a false God was worshipped but a way of their own whereby they worshipped the true God and yet Josiah suppresseth even this kind of false worship Secondly we find that Magistrates did employ their power for suppressing of the breakers of the Sabbath day and and punishing those that Married strange wives which yet were not Idolaters and Apostats from the true God a noble example whereof is in Nehemiah 13. from verse 15 to 21. There is a large History what pains he took to reform the People to keep the Sabbath day therefore in the 21. v. Then I testified against them and said unto them why lodged ye about the wall If ye do so again I will lay hands on you He threatens to employ the Civil power for suppressing of that Error and this is not Idolatry And Secondly we find that the Magistrates employed their power generally for suppressing any Error that was contrary to any Article of the Covenant So where we read in the 2 Chron 34. 31 32. And the King stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord c. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it And the heads of the Covenant are not only against those who were Seducers but also against those that were seduced So we find it in Exodus 32 v. 20. In that Idolatry of worshipping the Golden Calf when Moses came down from the mount in his zeal to the Glory of God he not only punished Aaron but also the People and more than this he Armes the Levits as the avengers of God's Justice and proclaims that every man should avenge the Lord upon his very Brother Thus we have made out in the first Argument taken from the practice of the Kings of Israel and Judah and have vindicated it by Scripture from their exceptions brought against it The Second Argument shall yet be grounded on the Old Testament and it is taken from the many commands and precepts that are given in Scripture to Godly Kings and Magistrates and others to punish Blasphemers False Prophets and Idolaters Hereticks Sabbath Breakers and Seducers from whence we form this Argument That whatever was commanded to be done by Magistrates under the Old Testament as a part of their duty this Magistrates under the New Testament are oblidged to as a part of their duty also But Magistrates were commanded under the Old Testament to suppress Idolatry Blasphemy and Heresy and that they were to do as a part of their duty as Magistrates And therefore it is a duty lying on Magistrates under the New The thing we have to prove is that this was a command given to Magistrates under the Old Testament and that as a part of their duty as Magistrates And for this look over these places of Scripture Exod. 22. 20. He that sacrificeth unto any God save unto the Lord only he shall be utterly destroyed There is a command given to the Magistrates And so in Levit 24 15. And thou shalt speak unto the Children of Israel saying Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin v. 16. And he that Blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death So in the 13. of Deut 1. If there arise among you a Prophet or dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a sign or a wonder c. Through the whole Chapter there are Commands given to the Magistrate to punish false worship We shall only add another and that is taken from the fourth Command where a charge is laid on the Magistrate as well as the Master of a Family to make use of his power for keeping of the Sabbath and to see to the keeping of it by others also Thou shalt do no manner of work thou nor they son nor they daughter This Command is given to the Magistrate as well as to the Master of the Family as appears from those things First By vertue of this Command Nehemiah the Magistrate of God's People did make use of his power to punish Sabbath Breakers in that place we cited in Nehemiah 13. 21. Secondly It appears from this that the Gates spoken of their Nor any thing that is within thy Gates is a term which aggreeth not to a single Family but a whole City even to the circuit of a whole Kingdom of the word Gates is taken in Scripture Geneâ— 22. 17 and thy seed shall possess the Gate of his enemies It followeth as in that respect therefore he speaks to the Magistrate no Master of a Family having such large power And Thirdly The power there spoken of is
Excommunicate the Incestous Person To deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Now say they this command is given unto all the Church because there is no exception and therefore not to Elders only As also the command is as large as the reproof in v. 2. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned c. Now sure it is there were moe reproved than the Church Officers And therefore the command belongs to others than these In Answering this Argument we shall first retort it on themselves For if so be the Argument hold good it would follow that Women and Children had power of Excommunication for if the command be to all without exception then they are not excepted and if the command be given to all to whom the reproof is given then it is to them for doubtless Women and Children mourned no more than the men And so they should have power to Excommunicate also Now this were absurd and against themselves And so the two main pillars whereon they build their Argument fall to the ground to wit That the command is given to all without exception And that it is of a like latitude with the reproof But Secondly We Answer to the point That all who are acquaint with Scripture know that God useth to give commands indefinitly to the whole Church which he will not have applyed to every one in the Church but only to those persons to whom according to their respective callings interest or relations the command doth belong We shall make this clear from 1 Cor 14. 31. Where Paul speaketh generally to the Saints at Corinth ye may all Prophecy one by one c. The command is given indefinitly to all and yet sure it is not the Apostles mind that all to whom he writs should do this but only they who had abilities and a Call to it and therefore he sayes in the preceeding 12 chap. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. So in 1 Thess 5. 13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake c. Now if this be a duty lying on all to whom the Epistle is directed then the Ministers had been to esteem highly to themselves for their own works sake For the Epistle is written to them among the rest now this were absurd and so it must be intended for the People So is it here the command is given indefinitly to all yet the matter is not to be done by all but only by some to wit the Church officers and this appeareth evidently from 2 Cor. 2. 6. He was speaking to them concerning the same case in hand to wit the relaxing of the incestous man from Excommunication and sayes he Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many Now he doth not say Inflicted of all as they would make the words bear but inflicted of many Yea as the learned observe the word many signifieth The chief ones It is the same word that is Matth 12. 41 a greater than Jonas So Paul explaines himself That it was not all but the chief Ones to wit the Rulers by whom the Censure was to be inflicted And this now for Answering their Objections IV. In the nixt place we shall come and apply the whole purpose to a threefold Use. And the first is Seeing this Error as we have now made evident it is not of God I would have you suspecting fair pretences that a Doctrine may be coloured over with There is no Error that hath a fairer pretence than This hath it is the liberty of the Saints say they should not they judge others A fair pretence And yet it is but the same that Korah Dathan and Abiram had and so we need to stumble the less at it Ye take too much upon you said they seing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them c. Numb-16 3. The Second Vse is to private Christians that ye would do your duty And Secondly Content your selves with your duty And first do your duty whereof many come short Doubtless many at the hearing of this Doctrine will cast off all care seeing the care of the Church is laid on the Officers thereof Ministers and Elders Nay but as we shew in the clearing of the State of the Question although power of Governing the Church be not in the hands of all believers yet there is a duty lying on them to admonish and exhort even their Ministers say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministry Yea it is a duty lying on private Christians that when your private Admonition doth not the business ye are bound to delate it to the Church We see this Matth 16. Where Christs institutes this order v 16. 1. To tell thy Brother privatly and if that will not do bring two or three moe Witnesses with thee then if that do it not tell it to the Church so it is a duty lying on every Church member to admonish and rebuke even their Ministers and Elders to stir them up when slack and when that will not do to tell it to others And we would charge you to make more conscience of this duty than usually ye do A second part of your duty we told you was to try the spirits in reference to your practice ye are not bound to take a Doctrine on trust from Ministers tho Apostles Nay not from Angels Though we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have Preached unto you let him be accursed Galat. 1. 8. And private Christians come short of this part of their duty also many seeking no other Reason of their Faith than what Ministers Preach it is a loose ground For ye are commanded to Try the Spirits But Secondly As ye would make Conscience of your duty so ye would content your selves with your duty ye would look on Church Officers and reverence them ye are not to say what is more in them than in our selves may we not be as fit as they they may erre as well as we Grant it be so yet they are Gods Ordinance appointed by the God of order and he who reproacheth them reproacheth his ordinance and breaketh down the hedge appointed by God The Third Vse is directed to Church Officers Those whom the Lord hath instructed with this power Ye would make use of it for Edification and not for destruction ye should so carry your selves in your places as not to tempt the People of God to despise your Office When the Lords People hear of an Elder to be a Tipler or a Swearer it is a temptation to them to despise both that Elder and his Office Many surely in this are stumbling blocks to People As Eli's Sons made the People abhorr the offering of the Lord. The Truth is it is no great wonder that the Government of the Church be losing weight
nothing of publick Scandals Not as if Jesus Christ did mean that publick Scandals should be passed over but that the same Rule may serve for these keeping the just proportion Even so is it here If the nature of Synods be held out in the Word that is enough though it speak nothing of the bounds to which they should extend whether of One Province or of All the Provinces of a Nation no more than it is particularly set down in Scripture what should be the number and bounds of a particular Congregation There is a Third thing for clearing of this Question The Independents and we agree in this That the word gives ground for meeting of Synods only we differ about their Power They grant that in case of Division or Scandal Synods may meet and give their Advice in Matters doubtful only they say that Synods have no Power of Jurisdiction to command others in the Lord to embrace their determinations We on the other hand maintain that they have this Power and that the Scripture holdeth out such a Power belonging to them II. We might instance this in Act 1 In the choice of Matthias which was done by no particular Church For here were the Apostles whose Paroch-Church was the whole world Here were the Brethren of Christ from Galilie v 14. Some from Jerusalem v. 15. This meeting did a Church business of common concernment to the whole Christian World and so behooved to be done by those who did represent them And therefore this behooved to be a General Council But to clear the point more fully we shall take Act 15. Where this Synod we plead for is held forth clearly The History is plain A difference ariseth in Antioch about Circumcision This cannot be composed in Antioch it self so they send up Commissioners to Jerusalem to determine this matter where there is a Synod of Apostles and Elders and they determine the Question Now that it may appear the Synod we plead for is here consider first That there was a Church meeting or Judicatory here None may doubt of this as is clear v 6. Secondly Consider That this Judicatory is made up of Commissioners from the several Presbyteries we see that Commissioners from the Presbytry of Jerusalem was there v 6. And Commissioners from the Presbytry of Antioch Act 15. 2 Paul and Barnabas and others Now that these were Commissioners and had voice appears from Act 16. 4. where the decree that was then made was ascrived to all the Elders who were present It is very likely that there were other Commissioners there also from Syria and Cilicia For they are joyned with Antioch in the Letter v. 23. For what other Reason cannot be imagined except that as they were alike troubled with the Heresy as Antioch was so they had their Commissioners there as Antioch had And therefore these Acts are binding to them in a special manner However it is clear that there were Commissioners from the Presbytry of Jerusalem and of Antioch so the meeting was made up of two Presbytries And by the same rule it may be made up of moe Thirdly We would consider that this meeting made up of Commissioners from several Presbytries makes binding Acts unto other absent Churches who were present only in their Commissioners And there are several things to clear this First They determine the Question in v 19. 20 Secondly They impose Their determination on the Churches to be keeped by them So in the Letters They wrote to the Church of Syria and Cilicia v 28. The word that is turned there a Burthen signifies a Law or a Decree and so we find it in Act 16. 4. There their Conclusions are called Decrees which were ordained of the Apostles and Elâ—ers at Jerusalem And which were to be keeped From all which it is clear They did make Acts binding other Congregations Thirdly We find they put forth an Act of Censure on the false Prophets v 24. They called them Lyars A brand of Infamy It 's true They Censured them not with Excommunication For it was time enough to doe That when they knew they were become incorrigibly obstinate according to the common Rule An Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject By this I hope ye perceive clearly a pattern for greater Synods a Judicatory made up of Commissioners from several Presbytries and these making binding Laws to other Churches who were absent in their Persons and only present in their Commissioners III. Their main Objection against this is That the Apostles were here who were guided with an infallible Spirit to determine and so this can be no Rule for our Synods made up of men wanting that assistance To this we Answer that this if it prove any thing will make against our Opposits themselves as well as against us For they hold that here is a pattern of a Synod for advice so if their Argument hold against Us in the One It must hold also against Them in the Other Secondly We shew before that the Apostles were also Elders and sometimes Acted as Elders Now if it can be proven that they Acted as Elders here it breaks the strength of their Objection But this is clear First Paul and Barnabas are sent by the Church of Antioch They willingly submit Act 15. 4 Now in their Apostolick Office they were not directed by meâ— And so surely here they acted not as Apostles Secondly The Apostles all along go not on that way as when guided by an infallible Apostolick Spirit For they state the Question and debate it in v 7. Now when they write Scripture they do not use advice nor do they debate what they shall conclude but speake all as immediatly inspired But here they debate And â—aving found Truth By force of Reason they conclude as any other Assembly upon like assurance of Scripture warrand may do It seemeth good unto Vs being Assembled with one accord c. In v 25. Thirdly When the Apostles did determine any thing as Apostles and were guided by the immediatly inspiring Spirit of God then they did determine the Question fully that nothing needed to be added But so it was not here For Peter v 6th gives his Judgment That Believers were freed from the Ceremonial Law What he saith is true indeed Yet it speaketh not fully to the point untill James addeth somewhat to wit That however the Gentils were freed from the Ceremonial Law yet to eschew the Scandal of the weak Jews They were to abstain from things strangled c v 20. And therefore They Acted not as Apostles except we would say that Peter as an Apostle intending to determine a Controversie yet did not speak fully to the point which were an injury to that immediately inspiring Spirit by which they were acted in penning Scripture Fourthly Because the decrees of the Synod are put forth in the name and by the Authority not only of the Apostles but Elders also Act 15. 22. 23. Act. 16. 4. Act. 21. 25. Now
cast themselves head-long upon the Errors of the time I do not love that any thing should be done of purpose to make People as we say kyth or appear in their colours I mean to bring out these Practices the Seed whereof thou conceives to be already within which at the best is to cast a stumbling Block before the Blind I might reckon several Practices which are not only Irritating but also in themselves Sinful such as Promiscuous admissions of Clean and Unclean to the Lord's Table Little pains taking by Ministers to Instruct People with Knowledge Shewing much of Passion but little of Reason against Errors There be many whose Zeal is honestly fervent against Error and Confusion who yet by these and such as these are not a little indirectly instrumental to the furtherance of it Our Second Direction how to manage our Differences so as not to further Satan's main design is That all especially Ministers would beware of such things as of their own Nature do prove and by constant observation have proven Fore-runners of Error and Confusion Of which I shall reckon Three The First thing to be eschewed is Unscriptural Expressions while speaking of things Religious as Cases of Conscience Exercises of Mind and Scripture Truths An affected way of bringing forth old Truths in new and uncouth Phrases high soaring Notions serving more to astonish than inform the Hearers Paul 2 Tim. 1. 13. bids Hold fast the form of sound words and not only of sound Doctrine It was Calvin's Observation in his time and severalls since that those who coin new Words and strange Expressions tending only to amuse the Hearers are in hazard to be carried away themselves and to carry others with them unto some New and Dangerous Opinions 2. Ye must beware lest a disgust of old Truths spread amongst the People together with an itching after new Things new Opinions new Cases new Fellowships new Teachers Ye'll find 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. That itching Ears in People go before the turning the Ear from the Truth For preventing whereof Ministers should be much in the inculcating of old Soul-saving and Soul-humbling Truths And for keeping these still fresh and savory much of the need of Christ should be pressed to a Soul-hungring for Christ every bitter thing is sweet but a Soul full of Conceit loatheth the Hony-comb A Third Thing predisposing to Error and so to be guarded against is The undervaluing of the Ministry It hath been Satan's method in drawing on People towards Error at all times and in no time more than these of late First To make them despise their Faithful Ministers that once getting the Ear stopped by prejudice against thesâ— he might get the more ready access for his Emissaries to infect them with Damnable Errors It is the Observation of a Reverend Writer of late speaking to the same purpose That the Galatians were easily seduced so soon as they were made to disgust Paul their Faithful Teacher This much for the Second Direction for managing of our Differences so as not to come short in defence of these Truths which Satan is labouring most to deface Our Third Direction is To be watchful over the first Buddings of Error That way There are some lesser Errors whereby Satan scoureth the Field and maketh way for these great Ones which he mainly intends Whereof as to the present case I shall mention some Concerning which whatever we might speak from our own knowledge of the propensity of severals towards some of them yet I shall rather choise to speak of them in the abstract as such That if People should be taken with them will make way for that Confusion which Satan mainly aimeth at Error 1. The first whereof is That no Man truly Godly ought to be Censured for Opinion or Practice which we conceive he owneth or practiseth from grounds of Conscience tho his Opinion or Practice tend never so evidently to the Renting of the Church Error 2. Secondly That the presence of Scandalous Persons at the Lords Table defileth the Ordinance unto all who Communicate knowing such to be there Error 3. Thirdly That a Minister Scandalous tho not Judicially proved such ceaseth to be a Minister so that it is unlawful to receive either Word or Sacrament at his hand or to join in Discipline with him Error 4. Fourthly That there is no special tye upon People to countenance the Ordinance in that Congregation whereof they are Members But a liberty left to go constantly where they may be most edified tho with the discouragement of those whose hands they are bound to strengthen I have only mentioned these Tenets without Refutation being confident that none of Christs Ministers to whom herein I mainly speak will own them Only I shall point at three things Ministers should make conscience of as their Duty in relation to these or such like First As it is our Duty to watch against prophanity and Scandal upon the one hand so to be learning where any thing of this kind vents it self either in Practice or Contentious Reasoning Secondly We should not think lightly of such when they do appear and that Because 1. They do evidently make way for Satans great design in these times which is to cover the Church of Christ with Confusion 2. Because that however possibly such do not reflect so much upon our own Ministry as upon others who we may conceive have justly procured their own grief yet a year or two may lay them down at the door of him who thinks himself for the time at greatest distance from them and that with so much the more weight as that he did not resent these evils sooner 3. Such would not be thought of lightly Because Experience sheweth That the simple overseeing of such is not the way to root them out but rather to make them take strength And therefore the Third thing that Ministers should make Conscience of in relation to such is To set about the Curing of them wherein ye are to eye two Caveats 1. As ye would thrive so set about the Cure of One evil as not to neglect Another They are not to be approven if any such be who in their Reproofs bend themselves wholly against Error but little against Prophanity and Vice neither are they to be approven if there be any such who pass over the reproof of Error wholly because the Person to be reproved will hardly take with it or that prophane men will take occasion to mock at Piety because of it These things require indeed that the Duty be wisely and tenderly done but not that it be left altogether undone A second Caveat to be eyed is your Cure should be more in Convincing Arguments than in Bitter Reproofs Else it will be taken but for the venting of Passion and that ye have nothing to say in Reason which will make the Disease worse This much for the second branch of our last Use. The Third shall be some Considerations to the People especially for