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A85043	The churches and ministery of England, true churches and true ministery. Cleared, and proved, in a sermon / preach'd the 4th of May at Wiviliscombe; before a numerous congregation assembled together to hear the opposition, which had been long threatned to be made that day, by Mr Collier and others of his party, who, with the greatest strength the West would afford them, were present at the sermon. Wherein were these five things undeniably proved: 1. That a mixture of prophane and scandalous persons with reall saints, is not inconsistent with the Church of God or a true church. ... 5. And then, they also must needs be guilty, who forsake true churches and a lawfull ministry, to follow and hear unsent preachers. By Francis Fullwood minister of the Gospel at Staple Fitzpane in the county of Somerset. Before it there is an epistle and preface, shewing the manner, and a narrative subjoyned shewing the substance of the dispute after the sermon, (both which lasted nine hours.) Set forth by the ministers that were at the dispute, and attested under their hands.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.; Darby, Charls.; Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1652 (1652)	Wing F2498; Thomason E671_2; ESTC R202166	72,915	100

THE CHURCHES and MINISTERY of ENGLAND True Churches and true Ministery Cleared and proved In a SERMON preach'd the 4th of May at Wiviliscombe before a numerous Congregation assembled together to hear the opposition which had been long threatned to be made that day by Mr Collier and others of his party who with the greatest strength the West would afford them were present at the Sermon Wherein were these Five things undeniably proved 1. That a mixture of prophane and scandalous persons with reall Saints is not inconsistent with the Church of God or a true Church 2. That then the Churches that are now in England are Churches of God and true Churches 3. That then the Ministry of those Churches is the Ministry of God and the true Ministry 4. That then there is a great and heavy sin lying at the door of all such as do presume to preach publikely among us without a Call who have true Churches and a setled Ministry 5. And then they also must needs be guilty who forsake true Churches and a lawfull Ministry to follow and hear unsent preachers By FRANCIS FULLWOOD Minister of the Gospel at Staple Fitzpane in the County of Somerset Before it there is an Epistle and Preface shewing the Manner and a Narrative subjoyned shewing the Substance of the Dispute after the Sermon both which lasted nine hours Set forth by the Ministers that were at the Dispute and Attested under their Hands LONDON Printed by A. M. for George Treagle at Taunton and are to be sold at London by William Roybould at the Unicorn in Pauls Church-yard 1652. TO HIS Honoured Friend Collonel JOHN PINE A Member of Parliament and one of the Commissioners for the Militia of the County of Somerset Honoured Sir TRuth though above this sixteen hundred years of age and hath learned long since to stand alone yet experience hath found it doth ever goe the better into the world when imboldened with the care and gracious protection of a nursing Father and I need not dawb with untempered mortar to tell the world what the whole West of England well nigh knows that the potent influence and pleasant shade of so noble a Tree will better protect and secure those truths against all the heat of present opposition then these poor contemptible following Leaves can do Now Blessed be the God of Truth that hath inclined your heart to own his truth and more particularly to embrace an opportunity wherein you may do his shaken Churches throughout the world so great service a bold expression I must needs confesse yet Worthily Honoured Sir give me leave to be bold and I shall adde That there is nothing more certain then this that these mens principles we speak against would at once strike down I say not the credit but being and truth of all the Churches and Ministery and Ordinances of Christ that are either now or ever have been in the world since the Primitive times and who is not affrighted from horrid principles But since the designe lies so deep I beseech you Noble Sir to consider a little who they are that undertake it and with what Engine they think to effect it First Who and what are the men of so great an adventure Methinks Fame should carry them to be mightily skil'd in the Originall tongus or deeply read in the History of the Church whereby they had discovered something there that was never found out before or some Saints or Angels or Christs sent down from heaven to open some truths that had been lockt up and kept secret from the Church for so many hundred years but alas they pretend not to be any such but what are they even men of like infirmities with us and in a word no betterthen the Apostle describes unlearned unstable wresting the Scriptures But surely they have some weighty Arguments though the men be weak they would never undertake so great a design as to overthrow all Churches Ministers Ordinances and that ever since the Apostles times unlesse their Engine were somewhat answerable O yes they have allowed Infant-baptism Ministers that baptize infants are Anti-christian Members that were baptized Infants are Anti-christian and consequently Churches and Ordinances are all Antichristian Ah poor shift and yet you have nothing else will hold an Argument but this Let me now in the Name of God and all the Churches entreat these men to consider a few things or answer a few brief questions touching Infant-baptism and then they will see how desperate and unadvised they have been in a matter of so great moment 1. Suppose we should grant the baptizing of Infants an Errour May not the true Church erre may not the whole Church erre may it not erre in judgement and then what doth hinder but it may erre in practice too and yet be still a true Church to affirm the contrary is rank Popery Again If the Church may erre it may erre in circumstance without dispute and what is the errour of Infant-baptism if it be an errour more then a circumstantiall errour for have we not ever kept the substance of it the matter water and the form In the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost how then I pray you can the errour of Infant-baptism destroy our Churches or nullifie our Ministers or ●●her Ordinances 2. But alas who told you that Infant-baptism was an errour before the Anabaptists of Germany did who told you when this errour came first into the Church What Precept or Precedent have you against it in all the Scripture or what command have you to shew for the baptizing beleevers only alas poor men who among you dare answer to any one of these questions and how then wilt thou be able to answer them all and much lesse can you warrant the desperate conclusions you have built upon so weak so tottering a foundation But why do I trouble these poor men alas they are but the weapons and Organs of Jesuites who play their game under these mens cloaks Methinks I see them instilling their damnable doctrines into these mens ears and venting them again at their mouths how naturally do all the abominable errours of these our times if you follow them a little kindely saluting each other and joyning in one stream tend and flow to the Sea of Rome the Seminaries are sowing their Tares among us which indeed spring too fast all the Land over and if they be not rooted up and stopt in time the Pope it 's to be feared will shortly reap too large a harvest among us in England which Canterbury I remember warned us off who know more of their plots and methods perhaps then he should or we do in his speech upon the Scaffold Honoured Sir give me leave I beseech you to point a little at the Jesuites drift as I conceive among us His generall last end is to advance the Pope and bring in Popery which hath been hatching many years The means he makes use of for this great end is to

so that I thought there had been a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a transmigration of the souls of some Jesuites into their bodies or as if they had been principled by some Old Loyolist Surely they never learned them at the Plough But they were all so soundly elided and their falsity so plainly demonstrated that the people professed themselves to have received full satisfaction So that by the goodnesse of God that daies action wan great credit to the truth reputation to the Ministry an encrease to that formerly thin and very discouraging lecture reclaimed some deceived souls confirmed many and is interpreted by some as a pledge of the fullfilling of that Promise 2 Tim. 3. 9. Some men may posssibly dislike the action it self and question the prudence and discretion of the Ministers who would so much undervalue themselves as to contest with such ignorant wranglers But the happy successe thereof may alone sufficiently answer whatsoever may be objected against their so doing to say nothing of the great sufferings of truth which were there likely to have been had there wanted strong opposition As for the persons who with such courage undertook and with such felicity managed this businesse thus much I dare say in their behalf that they aimed more ●t the maintenance of the truth then at the praise of a Victory And yet they aimed at victory also but not to credit themselves but the truth I have cause to think that there was no Minister there but is of my minde who could be content and willing to be abased scorned and slighted to lose all my comforts and hopes on earth to wander about as a vagabond being destitute afflicted tormented So that the name of Christ may be glorious and his Kingdom advanced if it were pleasing to God so to have it and my affliction might be more for his glory then my comfort and prosperity Nor let any supercilious censurer distast the publishing hereof No such thing was ever intended till the desires of some godly Christians who were willing that others might receive that benefit by reading of it as themselves had by hearing it and the necessity of vindicating themselves forced them to it Some reports were spread abroad that the Ministers were not only silenced but did also acknowledge their errour and openly make recantation So that they were necessitated to make the whole publique And herein they have Augustine for their President who having had frequent conflicts with the Donatists was forced at last to commit all his disputations to Writing because they alwaies proclaimed themselves Victorious though indeed as these Donatists at Wiviliscombe they were mightily convinced and confounded As for these its true they never left prating but that was looked upon and esteemed as no other then the wriggling of some Insecta when their heads are off Reader Thou maist not expect any elaborate Discourse here The dispute was sudden and unpremeditated the Sermon such as was then delivered when never intended to be published and I hope that these considerations will apologize with thee for the Authour who was willing though much to his own prejudice to impart it to thee without any manner of dresse more then it had when he uttered it I had thought Good Reader to have spoken more by way of Exhortation both to the honest-hearted and also to those who are for the present gone astray but that I have already detained thee too long from the reading of what follows And I doubt not but that if thou reade with an humble heart and a discerning Spirit thou wilt finde much satisfaction in the Points there handled God in Mercy guide both thee and me into all truth So prays Thy Servant in the things of Christ CHARLS DARBY THE CHURCHES MINISTERY of ENGLAND True Churches and true Ministery 1 COR. 1. 2. To the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours CAP. I. The Text opened and expounded THese words conteining the object of Pauls salutation shew us to whom he sends and dedicates this his Epistle viz. in the first and stricter place to the Church of God at Corinth and then more at large and secondarily to the Churches of God all the world over even as it is subjoined with all that in every place call upon that is by a Senecdoche worship the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours that is Jesus Christ their Lord as well as ours Now to be the more particular and pertinent we pitch upon the first and stricter object here of this salutation and dedication touching which the text affords First its appellation the Church with Secondly its description and that three waies 1. It is described in its specification the Church of God 2. It s situation the Church of God at Corinth 3. It s qualification 'T is sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy all which we shall briefly run over again and clearing the same make the way more plain for our following discourse The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most easily derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evoco here rendred the Church is frequently used for any company assembled together for any cause both in prophane and * Act. 19. 32. holy Scriptures We may reduce all kinde of assemblies to these three Sinfull Civil or Sacred and finde this word expressing them all For first there is a sinfull Church the Congregation of evil doers Secondly There is a Civil Church Acts 19. 36. Psal 26. 5. And lastly There is a sacred or a godly Church as this the Church of Corinth was which is here so plainly distinguished from the two former by this speciall attribute Of God It is not the Church of the devil or men but the Church of God at Corinth But this same Church of God is of various use and meaning Church of God too and a little inquiry made thereinto we shall finde a help and furtherance to us in our way 1. The Scripture means sometimes by the Church of God the whole invisible mysticall body of Jesus Christ viz. the whole number of the elect both in Heaven and earth that are or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head Ephes 5. 23. Col. 1. 24 25. 2. Sometimes again the Scrpture useth the Church of God for the universall visible Church which consisteth of all the particular Churches and persons with their children throughout the world that profess the true religion So it is used 1 Cor. 12. 12. 3. Sometimes also by a Metonimy for the place it self where a certain number of the visible Church use to assemble So 1 Cor. 11. 4. Sometimes also by a Synecdoche for any number of Church-members where ever they be So in 1 Cor. 16. 19. Col. 4. 5. 5. And lastly Sometimes for a particular visible Church whether

also the door of the Church for persons though really converted by the preaching of the Gospel and the Children of Beleevers born in the Church are not though virtuall actuall members of the visible Church before Baptism which seems to be built upon the known Text Go disciple all Nations baptizing them that is disciple not by teaching only not by teaching properly but by baptism the participle using to signifie the manner of doing Go disciple but how must we disciple why as before by circumeising so now by baptizing and in this Commission in Matthew to the Apostles the Commission given to our Father Abraham is but enlarged 't is the same * The Sacraments of the Jewish Church in substance were one and the same with our Sacraments Heb. 13. 8. 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3. Joh. 8. 56. Joh. 6. 50 51. Col. 1. 11 12. 1 Cor. 5. 7. all say this except Papists Anabaptists Arminians and Socinians for substance though it differ in circumstance the work is the same to disciple and make up Churches though the matter is larger Abraham chiefly that one Nation to come out of his loines together with all that would joyn as proselytes and the Gospel Ministers must disciple all nations i. so far as they can and the nation will submit unto them Abraham was commanded to disciple by that initiating ordinance of Circumcision and the Gospel Ministers by this of Baptism indeed there is teaching prerequisite to prepare and fit men out of the Church for the ordinance of Baptism and so much was requisite to make men proselytes for Circumcision which thing makes it cleer that not only Abrahams naturall seed had right to this Ordinance or that his seed were circumcised as his seed but as they were capable of being members of the visible Church and therefore we finde that when heathen people were willing to become members of the Church they had the Ordinance of initiation Circumcision to enter them in and not them only but their children also which is a cleer pattern for the Ministers of the Gospel towards the Gentiles How shall we behave our selves to them why we have commission to disciple them But how why as the Ministers of Law did proselytes Gentiles before us by Circumcision so must we now by Baptism but whom among them why as they before us the prosely to Gentiles and their children too so must we also disciple by baptism the nations of the Gentiles and their children too so far as they submit themselves and their children to the Ordinance of Christ But I must return Baptism wee see is the door of the Church which further appears by Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born again of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God this Kingdom of God I conceive to be the Church for Christ is telling Nicodemus here of earthly things and you may conceive the Church invisible or visible if invisible here is a door to let you in the baptism of the spirit and regeneration reall if visible here is another door for that too the baptism of water a regeneration visible a man may be born again i become a new man two waies and accordingly may have place in the Church two waies he may be born again indeed by a reall work of the spirit within and thus becomes a member of the invisible Church or else a man may be born again in shew only from a visible member of the world and the divel discipled by baptism and made thereby a visible member of Christ and entered into the visible Kingdom of Heaven the visible Church which indeed is sometimes first according to the order of the words except a man be born again of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the visible or invisible Church the Kingdom of Heaven Now to end with this it cannot be denied upon a good ground but we in England are a discipled nation and are entered into the Kingdom of Heaven the visible Church being born again by water Neither have we the seal only for we have the writings 2. And word of it Church is built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets too not only a pledg or token of the bargain but the word of the Covenant also the Scriptures in purity and the Ordinances of them in power and fullness which is undeniable and therefore we have the Covenant Deut. 4. 13. Heb. 9. 4. also above all reasonable contradiction and therefore we are the Churches of God for full satisfaction To * Rom. 9. 4. the Jews belonged the Adoption glory and Covenants but how does it appear because to them belonged the giving of the Law and the service of God And what advantage had the Jew by being a Church above the Gentile that was none why much every way but chiefly because to them were committed * Rom. 3. 1 2. The walls of the Church have their foundation in the Names i doctrine of the twelve Apostles and is therefore the pillar and ground of truth Rev. 21. 14. the Oracles of God shewing that they were a peculiar priviledge to and a distinguishing character of the visible Church for God sheweth his word unto Jacob his Statutes and judgements unto Israel and hath not dealt so with any nation that is among the heathen that have no Church Psal 147. 19 20. compared with Cant. 1. 7 other nations doubtless might have the Bible among them as we at this day have the Turkish Alcoron but here lay the difference God did not shew promulge or preach his word to them it was not with them as the Oracles of God the word of the Covenant to them Gospel Ordinances are a great part of the outward administration Ubi est fides illic est Ecclesia ubi non est fides ibi non est ecclesia Chryso of Gospel Covenant where God is pleased to hold a visible communion with us and we with him as before and so long as we have these we are no doubt in covenant with God and then a Church of God And to make all sure we have the peculiar blessings of the 3. And the blessings of it covenant which God bestows on none but such as are in covenant with him his own Churches These are chiefly three the blessing of his spirit of his providence and of his people the first is inward the two later outward but all spirituall and all speciall and peculiar blessings but of them in order The first and inward blessing of the Covenant is the blessing 1. Conversion I mean not only the common convictions enlightenings with the knowledge of the Gospel which is indeed peculiar to the Church however but the speciall blessings of the Spirit of God accompanying his word for the work of conversion in the hearts of our hearers This I make an infallible Mark of the truth of our Churches Conversion ordinarily wrought in our Churches Conversion may be

her and Popery and come over again to preach the truth for which they were first ordained And lastly and chiefly many that could not turn from the truth in judgement o● practice were known to fly for safety hence to other Churches beyond the Seas where they remain'd in the day of our calamity but when it was once over they returned to us to reduce our Churches to reform our Ministery and did with the gracious assistance of God and the Queen bring us back into the former Channell of Protestant profession wherein we have freely though sometimes fouly runne to this day 7. But as for you it may justly be feared you came by a later and neerer passage from the Church of Rome though under ground First None can doubt but we are as Full of Jesuites Now who love rather to fish in pudled waters where they Our Adversaries may be feared to have to do too much with Jesuits nor their baits may be seen as before these distracted unsetled times when they were capable of gaining lesse and more liable to be discerned by us Secondly and if the Iesuites be busie among us as no doubt they are where and with whom are they likeliest to be with you or us They cannot be thought to be among the Ministers for they are in a setled way and known by all to be the Jesuites sworn enemies Thirdly but your disorders aptnes to receive any opinions indiscretion c. doe indeed invite them to close in with you Fourthly ye take it for certain though poor souls you see it not you have received of late and been used by Jesuites to vent at least twenty errors for the Popes Advantage which with little time and place convenient I could reckon up and one among the rest to the purpose in hand That we are Schismaticks to the Church of Coll. Pulpit-guard Routed Rome and having unlawfully Rent our selves from her we ought to return again unto her Which leads me on to the last Answer to the old Objection against us Because we came by succession from Rome Lastly I Answer Suppose what you will that when we left Rome she was a true or a false Church we have yet a defence invincible though I suppose each one of the former Answers are sufficient satisfaction to men that will take it it is this I never heard or read of any that owned the name of a Christian the Papist excepted but did acknowledge that Luther and the rest of our first Reformers were lawfull Ministers whether their Call was an extraordinary or an ordinarie Call Now if so Had not they power to ordain others The Apostles had no ordinary Call yet they had power as the greater to ordain ordinarie Ministers and to confer an ordinary Call yet they ordained ordinarily and so did Luthrr c. And from thence we have had a succession of a regular ordination to this day and thus though as it is frequently used it wil not hold the distinction of ratione Principii medii touching Ordination is of great use for when our first Reformers ordained others they did not regard Ordination as the Channel of Rome had defiled and defaced it but they fetch the manner of it from the Fountain the Scripture Apostolical Example and Institution and the Doctrine of Ordination as in the Scripture was never toucht though the practice of it in the Popes hands was very corrupt and that their practice is now nothing to us that have reformed from it our Reformers they were lawful Ministers and they reformed abuses in Ordination too according to Scripture and from them successively hath it passed true not altogether pure sometimes to us and what corruptions it received in Bishops days it is reformed from of late also and our Ordination is at this day according to the Word in every thing and therefore to conclude we are as I said true Ministers Thus far then we have proceeded namely to prove the Ministery of England to be of Christ from our adversaries own Principles from the principles of any indifferent men and lastly from the grounds and principles of the Word But from the Word we promised two things First to make it appear that the Ministers in England have whatsoever the Word requires to make them so And this we have largely handled and whatsoever the word requires to manifest them so and this I shall as briefly touch If the Ministry be in question the Scripture gives us two Our Ministrie manifested Rules to know it by by which we are bound to try it before we reject it The first is its fruit By their fruit ye shall know them saith 1. From its Fruit. our Saviour of false Teachers By their fruit that is their Doctrine you shall know them that is whether they be of God which makes it evident that though we cannot clear a succession of persons yet as all that Wright against the Papists hold a succession of Doctrine is enough to evidence the true Ministrie Suppose it be doubted where the Ministrie of Christ is if it be but granted that he hath a Ministerie somewhere in the world it is easily concluded to be where the Doctrine of Christ is preach'd where can it be else This I make a mark when there is just cause of scruple touching the Call of a present Ministrie otherwise the very Ordination it self when known to be lawful is a readier way to prove and clear a lawfull Call Now we that cannot be denyed to have both have two strings that the adverse hand can never break The other is taken from its effects whereby God is pleased 2. It s effect to own his servants and doe his work by them Who is Paul Who Apollos but Ministers by whom you believe would you know who they are observe their work by them you come to believe and then doe not question but they are Ministers why so Because Faith is the gift of God which he doth not usually give but by his Ministers hands Ministers by whom you beleeve as God gave every man for how shall they beleeve on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear that is so as to beleeve without a Preacher a sent Preacher Whence we conclude that ordinary Conversion wrought by our Ministrie is an infallible mark of the truth of our Ministerie and that we are sent by Christ who do the work of Christ I dare not say but a true and honest Minister may have cause to Note complain That he hath stretched forth his hands all the day long unto disobedient and gain-saying people Yet this I say that he that is so happy in his labours as to convert some and establish more is hereby declared from heaven if questioned before to be both an able and lawful Minister And further he that endeavours to wash a Black-more to reform a people that hate to be reformed and reaps no visible fruit of his labours he wants

throughout and nothing warrantable with God or man Two things I should undertake here viz. to shew you the ground of this distinction of publick Preaching and private teaching and to clear and confirm my conclusion thereupon Rutherford Hall Collings Ferriby c. viz. That though private teaching be the duty of all yet publick Preaching is the sin of any but men in Office which having been done so fully by others to whom I refer you I shall dispatch in a word For the ground and reason of this clear distinction one instance of many shall serve the turn and it is of women whom we find in Scripture commended for private teaching yet also forbidden there in publick Preaching see Act. 18. 26. There Aquilla and Priscilla took Apollos unto them it is said and expounded the word Mark they took him to them aside into private and there the woman as well as the man expounded the way of God unto Apollos Well then here is an example of a womans teaching in a private way but doth this allow a womans publick Preaching no alas that 's clearly forbidden in another text which tels us we must not suffer a woman to speak in the Church neither to the end she may teach or learn And as women are forbidden to speak at all so are men forbidden to preach in the Church without a call For no man taketh this honour to himself unlesse he be called of God as Aaron was As if it had been said in the times of the Gospel Heb. 5. 4. a call is as necessary to licence a Preacher as it was in the time of the law For how shall they Preach except they be sent Rom. 10. 15. That is none can perform the Office of a Preacher as just before How shall they hear without a Preacher unless he be sent that is as we largely explained before ordained according to the order of the Gospel by the power of the Church Now we never read of any in Scripture that were sent to preach but they were thereby put into Office yea this Preaching in the Text is expounded there to be an exercise of one that is sent and none other and this being sent doth expound it selfe to make a Preacher as in the last words of the fourteenth verse and this word Preacher is never given to any in Scripture but to men in Office Then those that to presume to preach must needs pretend to be sent some way or other and I know no other sending but extraordinary or ordinary now I wish our Adversaries to take which they please Are they sent extraordinarily That though some of them have pleaded heretofore they are all ashamed of and do not now so much as pretend unto it for indeed it is great blasphemy Neither doe they pretend to be sent in an ordinary way according to the nature of the word sending or the Rule of the Gospel as we have this day declared to you How and yet dare to preach upon what account I beseech you Object There is a sending of Duty as well as Office saith one of them Answ How many absurdities are couch't together in these few words 1. It would devide betwixt the Duty and Office of preaching which differ no more than Ghost and Spirit the same thing in two words 2. It would devide betwixt a mans being sent by God and put into Office by him still one and the same thing 3. It is but the old distinction put into worse and harder words which is That private Christians may exercise their gifts in a way of love in a private way but there is a preaching in Office that onely is lawfull for men that are sent 4. To speak all in a word this sending in the very nature of the word and sence of Scripture doth plainly exclude what ever such men pretend unto to authorize their sinful disorderly practice of publick preaching even all the four things we nam'd before 1. It excludes the secret impulse of their own spirit for no man that goes of his own accord can be said to be sent the one is Active the other Passive and this is confirm'd by that known Text No man taketh this honour to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron clearly expressing that going and calling are two things 2. Sending excludes the call of gifts also for we not imagine that every man that is fit eo ipso a Justice of Peace ability is one thing commission another as most evidently appears by that clear Text Mat. 10. 1 5. In the first verse they have their qualification and in the fift they receive their Commission and are bid goe and therefore examination or proving of gifts is but the way to Ordination as in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus doth plainly appear 3. Sending excludes Electing from the whole work and therefore we finde sending and electing two things and even perform'd in a different way and by different persons in Acts 6. 5 6. The people chose and set the men before the Apostles but they are not sent yet and therefore the Apostles lay hands upon them 4. Sending is more than desiring lastly for this is but an act of an equal but sending is ever an act of Superiors Desiring doth leave the power in the partee desir'd but sending implyes the power to be in the partee sending Desiring doth not while sending doth still put a man into Office and a Minister in special giving him authority to deliver his Message intrusted to him for how shall he preach except he be sent That is perform the Office of a Preacher except he hath receiv'd a Commission so to do except he be sent Which I conclude with this argument as the sum of this matter None may preach except he be sent But Self-will Gifts Election Desire or Invitations of the people are not sending Therefore those that have no other Commission then these four may not preach Object But though we have not the Doctrine of Scripture we have many examples of Scripture that favour our preaching Answ 1. Suppose it yet you must know these two things 1. That Example will never warrant the practice of any unlesse all circumstances of time place person c. that are materiall meet together if thou beest not in all respects in the same condition with that man thou lookst at in Scripture his action is no pattern to thee 2. That Examples in Scripture are not further to be imitated by us then they are agreeing with the Word of Scripture But secondly as you have not one Word so neither one Example in the holy Scripture that will stand you in stead in the least Object Did not Apollos preach Answ So may you in non-constituted Churches especially if you were known to be Ministers as he is called 1 Corinth 3. 5. Object But did not Philip preach Answ So may you in the same state of the Church especially being ordained as Philip was Acts 6.

and an Evangelist too Acts 21. 8. Object But did not the Persecuted Saints goe Preaching the Word Acts 8. Answ So might you if you were scattered by Persecution among Heathen and Infidels as they were though you can never prove that any of them preached even in Persecution but such as were Officers for which we have two Reasons First from the word there signifying preaching which is as Doctor Seaman observes never made use of in holy Scripture but to expresse an act of Office and Officers and indeed the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word from whence this is immediately deriv'd doth signifie the Gospel or a good Message and is derived from another word which signifies a Messenger or one put into Office and sent to declare this happy Message to the sons of men intimating to us that the word Gospel doth carry a strong and invincible Argument in it against all those that offer to preach it and are not sent Which indeed the Apostle seemeth to laugh at as a plain contradiction in the words before mentioned How shall they preach except they be sent Object But all might prophesie one by one in the Church of Corinth why may not we Answ You may when you are Prophers as they were for that is a mistake to think that all in the Church might prophesie for certainly none could Prophesie but Prophets And are all Prophets No surely Therefore expound the 31 verse with 29. and 32. and the matter is ended All may prophesie that is All that are Prophets let the Prophets speak two or three and let the other judge and all those that are Prophets may have time enough to speak by turn You have now no more to urge but that of Paul whom we made before to appear to be a Minister even as soon as he was made a Christian though not before as some of you were as you read Acts 26. 16. What now can you further urge for your selves No more O that the Lord would open your eyes to see the Error and Danger of your wayes Alas What can I do more than to pray for you and to him that is able to restore your souls to him to commend you with him to leave you Yet with you I desire to leave this advice before I take leave That though it seem a hard matter yet you would take the Apostles Counsell and study to be quiet henceforth doing no longer ours but your own Businesse or else if that be too hard and you will needs have the work that you would desire seek and endeavour by giving up your selves to be prov'd and ordain'd the Office of a Bishop and be assured by me you shall find the 1 Tim. 3. 1. Ministers very ready upon the least desert to afford unto you the right hand of fellowship CAP. VI. That the People who leave the true Ministers to follow such as have no Calling are guilty of a very great sin WE are now attained to the last Conclusion which is That if for men to preach in a true Church where there is a lawful Ministrie setled be so great a sinne then doubtlesse for any to forsake a true Church and a lawfull Ministerie to follow and hear such sinfull Teachers is a very great sinne too Though alas poor ignorant deluded wretches think not so they that offer thus to preach are deeply guilty as I have told you this very action of theirs bringing so much disorder with it and coming from such dangerous principles endeavours the subversion and utter over-throw of all the Churches of Christ in the world and Chargeth Apostacy upon all the Churches that have been in the world since the dayes of the Apostles of so deep a nature is their sinne and you by following of them do plainly become partakers of their sinne be it never so great or dangerous and when Judgement comes 't is speciall Mercie if the Congregation that joyned with them be spared while Corah and his company are swallowed up Many in a sort that are not approvers of the men and ways Hearers are partakers of the sin of unsent Preachers we now speak of are yet partakers of these mens sinnes because they do not what God requires and in them lies to prevent the same But how much more are they that approve of and joyn with them as many hundreds of ignorant Creatures doe Besides you are not partakers with them in their sins onely hereby but you directly sinne your selves many wayes I Sin in hearing of them directly too cannot tell you how many sinnes you commit in this one of following these unsent Preachers nor indeed how sore judgements belong unto you for it Sins of omission in that you neglect to attend on the publick Ordinances to which you are called in that you cease to own respect and countenance the Over-seers Christ hath given you of Commission in that you rent your selves by unlawfull Schism from the Church of Christ and his Ministry in that you doe thereby what in you lies to break and ruine all the Churches and Ministers of Christ in the world in that you against expresse command hear those Prophets that God never sent and have to conclude a very great stroak in all these Confusions Errors and Heresies that now swarm within our Churches Consider O consider I beseech you dearly beloved and lay these things to heart I perswade my self that could you be serious and patient in weighing these things a while you would be at a stand if not face about 1. Consider what good can you get though you promise much while you lie under that heavy curse They shall Jer. 23. 32. not profit you That is they doe you much hurt and spirituall damage And doe you not find it by daily experience Whom among you but at his very entrance upon these wayes hath the foundation of his whole Religion shaken immediately I have wondred often at the frequent truth of this Observation untill I considered this Text and Curse They shall not profit this people at all Oh that you would consider it also 2. Consider what good you may doe us too by leaving them at last and returning again to the Fold and Shepherds of Jesus Christ For as your itching ears have heaped up such a multitude of Teachers so your eares well bored again would throw them down as fast Alas what doth uphold them but the pleasant Aire of your Encouragement would you withdraw they fall immediately with shame and sorrow were there no Hearers there would be no such Teachers For as we cannot hear without Preachers so they will not preach without Hearers and now will you not recompense your former prejudice to the Church and them and your selves besides while so fair an advantage remains in your hands However if love cannot win and prevail let the terror and fear of the Lord perswade whose strict command I reade unto you and leave upon you Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Hearken

Ordinance as this of Baptism yet this is not absolutely requisite for every circumstance that belongs to an Ordinance not to the circumstance of time when the children of professors should be baptized whether in Infancy or riper years when we can prove it by just consequence for though the Ordinance of inclination be changed Circumcision into Baptism yet that the time of administration is changed you can never prove so that then suppose your proposition be touching Ordinances it being onely touching a circumstance and not the substance of an Ordinance 't is false still Nothing of answer was made to this Reply but M. Collier went from this to prove the minor viz. That Infants had no command to be baptized Col. There 's no command for baptizing Infants for beleevers are commanded to be baptized Full. This doth not conclude at all for though beleevers are yet it doth not follow That none but beleevers are to be baptized which you are to prove We say actuall beleevers not yet baptized are to be baptized but we say also that they and their Children are to be baptized it behooves you if you can to produce a command wherein beleevers onely are commanded to be baptized Coll. The Text saith He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Full. Alas this is no command at all but a Proposition only much lesse that beleevers only are to be baptized and the truth is the force of this Proposition is onely this That none but beleevers shall be saved not baptized or rather those that beleeve as well as receive the Ordinance of baptism shall assuredly be saved but as this excludes not children from salvation so neither from baptism Coll. But we pray you then if there be a command for baptizing of Infants shew it Full. This is indeed somewhat unreasonable M. Collier especially considering how weary you may easily imagine me to be who preacht and since that disputed so long with you however give me leave for a little respite to choose a second that may stead me a while and you shall have what liberty you can desire Col. We agree choose whom you will Full. I choose my Moderator I pray you M. Wood give them a command for Infant-Baptism Wood. Choose you now whether you will oppose or defend M. Collier 't is an indifferent thing to me Col. I desire you will shew us a command for Infant-baptism Wood. You may reade a command for Infant-baptism in Mat. 28. 19. Go teach all Nations baptizing them c. whence I argue thus Where we finde a generall command in the Word we may not restrain or limit the same without warrant from the Word But here we have a generall command Baptize all Nations And therefore we may not restrain or limit it to beleevers onely without we can shew a warrant from the Word so to do Col. 'T is restrain'd to Disciples for in the Greek it is disciple all Nations baptizing them first they must be made disciples and then baptized Wood. You cannot conclude from the order of words in Scripture for in Mark 't is said baptize and teach whence we may argue as well that we must baptize before we teach 2. I am very glad that you so translat● the words for children are capable of being discipled and therefore baptiz'd Col. Children have no right at all to Baptism Wood. That I shall prove unto you thus Those to whom the spirit of grace the Kingdom of God and the blessing of Christ belongs to those the Ordinance of Baptism belongs but to some children ●he spirit of grace the kingdom of God and the blessing of Christ belongs therefore to them belongs the Ordinance of Baptism Col I deny your minor Woad For the first John was sanctified from the womb Col. That is he was separated to an Office Wood. No for we reade of an inward work of the spirit the childe leaped for joy in the womb but the two other are more clearly proved in that known Text Christ took little children into his arms and blessed them and said for of such is the Kingdome of God Facy That was meant of men like Children in harmlesnesse meeknesse c. Wood. How good Sir do we think that they brought men to Christ in their arms or that Christ took men into his arms and blessed them 2. If our Saviour should urge them to suffer little children to come to him because of such is the kingdom of Heaven and yet mean by such here men like to children the reason here were very improper and would no way answer the command Col. But what is this to Infant-baptism all this while Wood. Alas I bring not this to prove the baptizing of Infants immediatly but to prove the minor denied viz. That Children are part of the Kingdom of God and by consequence onely that they may be baptized Here they stuck untill they found out a way to get themselves out of the mire by desiring to return to M. Fullwood again who they pleaded had had some respite which was accordingly yeelded unto Full. You cry out for a Command for Infants-baptism I will give you two The first shall be the same my brother begun with otherwise applied it is Mat. 28. 19. Go disciple as you intepret well all Nations baptizing them Here is a cleer and expresse command to baptize all such as are made Disciples according to your own interpretation of the place but now children of professors are disciples de jure before de facto by baptism therefore here is a clear and express command for baptizing the children of Professors Coll. I deny that children are discipled Full. Those that are members of the visible Church are disciples but children of professors are members of the visible Church therefore children of professors are disciples Coll. I deny that children of professors are members of the Church Full. If children of professors had the priviledge of being Church-members once and that priviledge was never taken away from them they have it still but children of professors had this priviledge of being Church-members once and it was never yet taken away from them therefore they have it still Coll. That priviledge of there 's is repealed Full. If this priviledge of children be repealed by God it must be repealed either in the Old or New Testament but it was never repealed in the Old or new Testament therfore it is not repealed yet Col. 'T is repealed in the New Testament Full. If so It is repealed in the four Evangelists Acts of the Apostles Epistles or the Revelation but in none of these therefore not at all Coll. It is repealed in Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed are the promises made he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed that is Christ Now therefore all the promises are resolv'd and center'd in Christ and we have none but what we have from his hand Full. It is true that all the promises