the Rulers of the Synagogue whose name was Iairus here was a speciall Ecce added to take notice that a great man and one in authority came unto Christ and that in a publick way and one of the Rulers of the Synagogue So that wee may observe the people in every Synagogue were governed and commanded by their Rulers and they were to yeeld obedience unto them and were not joyned with them in Commission but stood to their determination as all men use to doe in Courts of Judicature that appeal unto them for justice And this custome and manner of government was transacted over to the Christian Churches and those that were called Rulers among them are among Christians sometimes called Presbyters sometimes Guides sometimes Rulers and by Christ himselfe and by his Apostles are appointed over all Christian Churches as so many corporations to which all the Assemblies and Congregations under them and committed to their charge are to yeeld obedience and submission in whatsoever they command in the Lord and according to his blessed Word for that must be the rule both of their commanding and of the peoples obeying And this Presbyterian government is that manner and way of ruling all Assemblies and particular Congregations under it that God hath appointed in his Church to be continued to the end of the world the which whosoever resisteth resisteth the Ordinance of God And this shall suffice to have spoken in generall in way of proofe That all Churches wee have mention of under the New Testament were Aristocratically and Presbyterially governed that is were under the Government of a Colledge or Assembly of Presbyters And now I come to prove in order the foure Propositions or conclusions I undertooke to make good The first was That there were many Congregations and severall Assemblies in the Church of Ierusalem in the which they had all acts of worship and did partake in all Ordinances of Church-Fellowship and that before the persecution we reade of Act. 8. and under the persecution and after the persecution And for the proofe of this Proposition and every branch of it I will first produce such places of Scripture as make for the manifestation of the truth and from thence frame and forme my Arguments Mat. 3. ver 1 2. 5 6. In those dayes came Iohn the Baptist preaching in the wildernesse of Iudaea and saying Repent ye for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand Then went out to him Ierusalem and all â—udaea and all the Region round about Iordan and were baptized of him in Iordan confessing their sinnes The Baptisme of Iohn as all the learned know was the same with that of the Apostles for he preached the Baptisme of Repentance for the Remission of sinnes and Baptized all that came to him into Iesus Christ saying unto the people That they should beleeve on him which should come after him that is on Christ Iesus Act. 19. ver 4. Hee had his Commission also from God as well as the Apostles and Baptized Christ himselfe hee preached also the Gospel and the Kingdome of the Messiah as well as the Apostles and had many honourable Testimonies from Christ himselfe as That he was the greatest Prophet that ever was borne of woman and That he was a bright shining light and That he was his witnesse and many other Encomiums and praises did Christ give of him to ratifie his Authority and to shew that he was sent of God and that he was that Elias that was to come before the Messiah And all the people owned and tooke him for a man sent of God and Ierusalem went out to him and all the Region round about and were Baptized of him In these words wee find that the people of Ierusalem were all turned Christians and made members of the Christian Church and were beleevers For which way soever the word Ierusalem be taken it signifieth a numberlesse multitude of men or an innumerable company For if we consider Ierusalem at this time she was a most populous City the Historians that write of that age relate That she had somtimes in her no lesse then eleven or twelve hundred thousand but let it be taken that these were but six hundred thousand inhabitants it is a vast multitude and yet seldome was there lesse inhabitants in Ierusalem if any beleife may be had to Historians for at that time it was one of the Metropolis Cities of the world and the glory of Nations and the joy of the whole Earth and besides there was then great expectation as we may read Luke 19. 11. That the Kingdome of God should immediately appear and all the Jewes out of all Nations where they were scattered now repaired to Jerusalem and returned into their own countrey expecting the Messiah So that at this time we cannot conceive but that there were infinites of people in Jerusalem and it is said That Jerusalem went out and was baptized by Iohn By Jerusalem here metonimycally the place is taken for the people Now when it is said that a City goeth out it is to be understood either of the whole people Man Woman and Child old and young with all the inhabitants as many times it happens in great Earth-quakes or some Pestilence or Inundation that all the Inhabitants are forced to leave a City and to seek some other habitation or of some great part but we cannot conceive the going out of Jerusalem to Iohn Baptist in that large sense and expression so that in this place it must be taken Synecdochycally and we are to understand a great part or a chiefe part for the whole as when a City is said to entertaine a King or to go out to meet a King here it is to be understood principally of the chief Officers as the Lord Mayor Aldermen and the Common-councell and all their severall Companies and chiefe Captaines and Commanders with all their magnificence so that in this notion the common people and the ordinary Citizens are not thought on or at least are not numbred As when JESUS was borne in Bethlem and the Wise Men came to Jerusalem to enquire where they should finde him that was borne King of the Iewes that they might worship him for they had seen his Star it is said That when Herod heard these things He and all Ierusalem was troubled with him Here by all Ierusalem is to be understood all the chiefe Officers and Courtiers for the common people were glad of it for that was the day they had long looked for and rejoyced at but Herod being an Usurper and a Tyrant and all his Nobles Peers and Great men being confederate with him and adjutors in his usurpation and tyranny and conceiving that Christ was an earthly Monarch and that after the manner of the Kings of the Earth he would not onely pull down the Usurper but likewise call all them in question as guilty of High Treason and cut them of as complices and abettors this made them tremble and feare and because it
because they are Presbyterians refused in private to pray or joyn in prayer with them and for such who hold and do pronounce all that walk not in their way to be enemies of Jesus Christ c. These Independents by their opinions and practices do sufficiently prove the truth of what I said in the forecited words and therefore you with all that hold such an opinion must disclaime that Independent principle if you denie the veritie of them otherwise you will declare to the whole world that you are not so zealous for Gods glorie nor love not the Lord so sincerely as his faithfull servants have formerly done and withall you will manifest to all men that you are more studious to preserve your own honours and reputation then the glory of God For whereas you with most of the Independents that I know doe hold and maintaine in your bookes intituled Vindication and Vindiciae veritatis That the Presbyterians are enemies to Christs Kingly office that instead of finding Christ set upon his Throne in their Congregations you find there no more but an Image such as Michael had made up instead of King David 1 Sam 19. or as those that in mockery made of Christ a Pageant-King striping him and putting on him a scarlet Robe and on his head a Crowne of Thornes and in his hand a Reed saluting him with Haile King of the Jewes with which title over his head they crucified him That the Presbyterians neither professe nor confesse Christ but say with the wicked Iewes we will not have this man to raigne over us Luke 19. 14. That they are at the best but Converts in part c. which is to say they are in King Agripas condition but almost Christians Act. 26. 28. or like Simon Magus still in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity And if this great charge against the Presbyterians be true which you so confidently affirme in your books truly all the Presbyterians are in a more cursed condition then the wicked Iewes were for why they know and say they doe beleeve that Iesus Christ is God and man the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth Iohn 1. 14. who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to bee the Sonne of God with power according to the spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1. 3. 4. The Redeemer of his Elect and chosen ones Ephes 1. 4 5 6 7 8. The Saviour of all that beleeve in him Ioh. 3. 15 16. The blessed and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. Now the Presbyterians knowing and professing that they doe beleeve these Gospel truths which the Iewes did not know nor would not beleeve if they notwithstanding are enemies to Iesus Christ and refuse to set Christ upon his Throne but in mockery set up Christ as a Pageant King in their Congregations and doe as those who saluting him with Haile King c. yet reiect him saying wee will not have this man to raigne over us Then the Presbyterians sinne in the height of aggravation sinning against their owne knowledge and professed beliefe and all such cannot but hate Iesus Christ and are haters of God for the Lord Iesus Christ hath said Hee that hateth mee hateth the Father also Ioh. 15. 23. So that consequently you make them the children of the Devill For if God were their Father they would be so farre from being enemies that they would love the Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God this the Lord and Prince of life hath declared and He makes it his Argument to convince the unbelieving Jewes that God was not their Father saying If God were your Father yee would loue mee for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my selfe but hee sent me If the Presbyterians therefore are enemies to Christs Kingly office and make a mâ—â—ke King of him who proceeded forth and came from God and was sent by him as you have once and again published in print then it must needs be granted they are not the children of God but the cursed children of the Devil Anathema maranatha because they love not the Lord Iesus Christ And from what hath bin said this is further necessarily implyed that either you with all that are of your judgement herein have falsely accused the Presbyterians as indeed you have to be enemies to Christs Kingly office otherwise if you and they are a holy people and such as doe advance Christ upon his Throne then I say I am perswaded the Independents doe hate the Presbyterians yea it were an hainous offence in them to love such whom they hold and judge to be enemies to Christ and so haters and enemies to God for to love any that hate the Lord is a wrath provoking sinne this the Prophet sheweth plainely when reproving King Iehosaphat hee said unto him shouldst thon helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord 2 Chron. 19 2. wee find it in sacred Writ that Mordecai a holy man was so farre from loving any of Gods enemies that notwithstanding all the Kings servants that were in the Kings gate bowed and reverenced Haman for the King had so commanded concerning him yet Mordecai bowed not nor did him reverence Esth 3. 2 3. I suppose none will give way to such an uncharitable thought as to thinke that Mordecai would run the hazard of his owne ruine and the destruction of all the people of the Iewes for want of giving an outward Complement for that had beene but pride in him so rebelliously to transgresse the Kings Commandement But he knew Haman to be an Agagite of the stock and raze of the Amalecks who were enemies to God of whom the Lord had said that hee would utterly put out the remembrance of Amaleck from under heaven And had sworne that hee would have warre with Amaleck from generation to generation as hee will with all that are his enemies Exod. 17. 14. 16. and withall hee well remembred how much the Lord was displeased with King Saul for sparing and honouring Agag the King of the Amalekites in so much that hee rent the Kingdome from him for it and gave it to David and only for favouring his enemies and not destroying him according to Gods command therefore Mordecai one of Gods peculiar people and his faithfull servant looking on Haman as hee was an enemy to God hated him and would not so much as bow nor doe outward civill reverence unto him Indeed maliciously and implacably to hate any is a sinne that cryeth loud in the eares of God and of this crying sinne too too many Independents are deeply guilty as is very evident by their raising up false reports to defame those who indeavour to walke in the wayes of Gods Commandements without hypocrisie but to hate Gods enemies is no sinne for it is the fruit of true grace and
Congregation For it is most certain that the beleevers that were in Jerusalem at that time were innumerable and those inhabitants for the Scripture is clear in this point for to say nothing of those that cryed Hosanna and cut down branches at Christs coming into Ierusalem which all made profession of him with the little children that cryed Hosanna also to the highest whose Parents were all inhabitants in Ierusalem and without doubt had taught all their children their lesson which they thought they might better shew publickly then themselves The Scripture in the third of Matthew and in the first of Mark and in the third of Luke saith in expresse termes That all Ierusalem which being taken Synecdochically must needs signifie an innumerable company of all sorts of men came out to the Baptisme of John and were all baptized by him in Jordan confessing their sins and all these were inhabitants And in the fourth of Iohn it is expressed there that Christ made more Disciples then John and that his Disciples baptized more so that necessarily there were infinites of beleevers then in Ierusalem yea it is expressed in the twelfth of Iohn ver 19. that the world went after Christ that is beleeved in him therefore there was a numberlesse company of beleevers in Jerusalem and all inhabitants there and all these were good Christians and true beleevers though I. S. most impiously affirmeth the contrary and pag. 8. 9. of his Pamphlet asserteth That they were not Christians to whom my brother Burton in the 16 page of his briefe answer assenteth Now that they were all good Christians and true beleevers that were baptized by John and Christs Disciples all good Christians are bound to beleeve it if any credit be to be given unto Christs words whose testimony I conceive is rather to be credited in this controversie then that of I. S. and my brother Burton for his witnesse is infallible who knew not onely their outward conversation but their very hearts also and therefore could give a true testimony of them and yet he concludes of all those that were baptized by the Baptist that they were all very good Christians and true beleevers Our Saviours words are these Luke 7. ver 29 30. And all the people mark I pray his expression All the people saith Christ that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John But the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Counsell of God against themselves being not baptized of him which words of our blessed Saviour are to be beleeved before the words of men and angels though they should all speak the contrary as wâ—cked I. S. and my brother Burton both do Now our Saviour in those words proclames all those that heard John the Baptist and were baptized by him to be good Christians and the Scripture saith that Jerusalem and they of Ierusalem came out to his baptisme and were baptized by him in Iordan Matth. 3. And in Aeâ—on neer to Salim there was much water John 3. 23. So that all these were inhabitants of Ierusalem and such as had their aboad in that City yea our blessed Lord and Saviour that true witness who out of his bare word ought ever to be believed doth not onely say they were good Christians and true beleevers but proves it by many arguments The first of the which is this that they justified God that is they acknowledged that God was a most just righteous and a mercifull God forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and keeping promise unto his people which was 2 Chron. 7. ver 14. that if his people which are called by his name shall humble themselves and pray and seek his face and turn from their wicked wayes that then he would hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land This promise of God and all his other gracious promises those that were baptized by Iohn did beleeve for saith oâ—r Saviour they justified God declaring unto the world by their profession that they beleeved in him and imbraced his promises which is yet farther manifest from Christs second argument which is this they rejected not saith he the counsell of God against themselves as the Pharisees and Lawyers did Now if we consider but what the counsell of God was to the people in the ministery of Iohn the Baptist we shall find it in the third of Matthew where the Baptist preaching unto all Ierusalem that came out unto his baptisme as it is also clear in the third of Luke he says there repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand warning them to fly from the wrath to come exhorting them all to bring forth fruits meet for repentance telling them of the danger that would otherwise ensue if they did not repent and beleeve in the Messiah who was to come shortly after him with his fanne in his hand who would throughly purge his floore and gather his Wheat into his garner but burn up the chaffe with unquenchable fire and therefore he exhorted them all again and again to repent and beleeve in the Messiah this good counsell did Iohn the Baptist give to all those that came out of Ierusalem to his Baptisme and our Saviour affirmes and witnesses of them all that they rejected not his counsell as the Pharisees did to their own destruction but imbraced it to their salvation and therefore they were all true beleevers if our Saviour knew who were beleevers which yet he proves by a third argument saying that they were all baptized of him confessing their sins in token of their repentance and of their faith in the Messiah they were all baptized by John saith Christ and therefore they were all very good Christians and true beleevers all these arguments for brevity sake may be reduced into one argument after this manner All those that justifie God and imbrace the counsell of God that do repent confesse and forsake their sins and beleeve in Iesus Christ and in token of their faith and obedience are baptized into him they are all good Christians and true beleevers but all these saith Christ that heard John the Baptist with the Publicans except the Pharisees and Lawyers were such Ergo they were all good Christians and beleevers and all Jerusalem consisted of such for Ierusalem went out to Joâ—n the Baptist and were baptized by him in Jordan confessing their sins and yet more then these were converted by Christ his Apostles and seventy Disciples ministery and all inhabitants in Jerusalem And therefore all these could not possibly be contained in any one place or a few and all these were then in Jerusalem as well as the hundred and twenty names and therefore all the beleevers at that time in Jerusalem though they were all epi tò autò as well as the Apostles yet they were not all in one place as the Homothumadon brethren would infer for those that the first chapter of the Acts speaks of ver 15. those hundred and twenty names which met together
wrought upon the Impotent Man who was knowne to all the people to have bin a Cripple from his Mothers wombe and through the powerfull preaching of Peter who exhorted them to repent and to be converted that their sinnes might be blotted out when the time of refreshing should come from the presence of the Lord c. It is said that many which heard the word believed and the number of those new Believers is there specified to be about five thousand men which were also added unto the Church and joyned to all the former Beleevers so that wee have here eight thousand new Members added unto the Church in a very little time and this was a greater Miracle then the former So that the Prophesie in the 110. Psalme verse 3. was now fulfilled That in the day of Christs power his willing people from the wombe of the morning should be multiplied as the Dew upon the Earth And which is not tobe passed by without due notice It is supposed by the best Interpreters and the most orthodoxe Writers and there is good reason for it that these new Converts were Men not Women and Children And without doubt these new Believers endeavoured to convert their Wives Children Servants and Neighbours and there is good reason also why wee should be induced to beleeve that Truth with such wonders and miracles annexed to it should be as prevalent to convert Women Children Servants and Neighbours and whole Families as errours and novelties in these our dayes are able to misleade those poore creatures that are ever learning and never come to knowledge and the which are carried about with every wind of doctrine and beleeve every new-borne truth as they terme it and follow every New Light and every new-found way though it tend to the confusion of the Church and Kingdome It is said of that man of Sin that Sonne of Perdition that hee shall come after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse and unrighteousnesse in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thess 2. But to see people so deluded without Miracles is a Miracle So that those poore Women that are carried about with every wind of doctrine from that truth that was taught by Christ and his Apostles and confirmed by so many Miracles and those that doe and have mis-led them have all of them a great deale to answer for But this I speake by the way conceiving that all those new Converts would endeavour as the good Samaritan Woman did after her conversion not only to bring their Wives Children and Families but their Neighbours also and whole Cities to the same faith And I have that opinion also of all the Women and people of that Age that they were as ready to imbrace the truth as the Women and people of this Age and in these our times are to follow errors But let us now see what effects the other Miracles wrought upon the people that are related in the 5. C. as of Ananias Saphira his wife who for tempting the Spirit of God were both stricken downdead and gave up the Ghost and the other Miracles wrought by the Apostles It is said in Vers 11. That fear came upon all the Church and to as many as heard these things that to the rest viz. the Scribes and Pharisees the Maglinant party durst no man joyne himselfe And Believers were added unto the Lord multitudes both of men and women Here come in the good Women now And in Verse 26. it is said that the Captaine with the Officers brought the Apostles without violence for they feared the people least they should have stoned them It will not be amisse briefly to take notice of the severall effects these Miracles wrought Thefirst is That great fear of offending God came on all the Church Gods own people which notwithstanding of the many additions of Believers is called still but one Church The second That none durst joyne themselves to the contrary party the Pharisaicall malignant crew The third That Believers were added to the Church and that multitudes no small companies both of Men and Women Here is a new increase and that a great one The fourth is that the very Captain and Officers were awed and kept in feare by reason of the multitude of Believers so that those that feared not God were afraid of his servants By which it may be gathered That the party of Believers did ballance the number of the incredulous and Pharisacall party if not by far exceed them And therefore by all probability must needs be an innumerable company and a mighty multitude and such a number as could not all meet in any one place or congregation to partake in all the Ordinances And to say nothing of the diversity of Tongues and Languages which were not given to the Apostles to be uselesse and of no profit nor to speake any thing of the divers Jewes that were then dwelling at Jerusalem devout Men and Women out of every Nation under Heaven which notwithstanding may be a sufficient argument to prove That they all had their severall meeting places and their severall Ministers to preach unto them in their severall Languages that they might be edified I say for the present to wave all this let us take notice what is positively set down in the last Verse of the fifth Chapter that is That the Apostles daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ That is to say they preached both publickly and privately and the very places where they preached are set down as in the Temple and in every house So that of necessity there must be severall congregations and assemblies of Belivers in Ierusalem according to that in the 2. of the Acts vers the 46. where it said That they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of bread from house to house which by all Interpreters is understood the administration of the Lords Supper and that the severall assemblies and congregations were wont usually to meet in private houses is frequently mentiond in the holy Scriptures as in the 16. of the Romanes verse the 5. and in the 1. of the Corinthians chap. 16. vers 19. Col. 4. 14. and Saint Paul in the 20. of the Acts vers 20. saith That he kept back nothing that was profitable unto them but taught them publikely and from house to house so that they had their Assemblies as well private as publicke even in the Church of Ephesus where they did partake in all acts of worship and in that Church also they had many Presbyters and yet were but one Church But now I will passe on to the sixth chapter in the 1 2 3. and 7 verses it is said That in those dayes when the number of Disciples was multiplyed there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their
of all things See what Saint James saith in his fifth chapter to all churches and christians in the world Is any man sicke saith hee let him send for the Presbyters of the churches and let them pray over him c. and the prayer of faith shall save the sicke and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him The Apostle Iames here sends all christians to the Presbyters of every church who had the power of the Keyes delegated unto them for spirituall comfort and whose office onely it was to pronounce pardon and remission of sinnes unto the sicke upon their true Repentance if they had offended and sinned against God in the time of their health and so scandalized the Gospel and the Church and it was the Presbyters place and office to admit them againe into the fellowship and communion of the Saints upon their coâ—diall and untained repentance and that without asking the church any leave for as the Presbyters onely had the power of casting out offenders out of the Church so they onely had the authority of receiving them in againe upon their repentance and not the Church so if wee looke into all those Epistles that were written unto the seven Churches of Asia in the 2. and 3. of the Revelations we shall find them all directed to the Angels of the seven Churches which is as much as to say to the presidents of every severall Presbytrie established and constituted in every one of those Churches which is a sufficient Argument to me to prove a Counsell or Colledge of godly Ministers in every one of those cities according to that of Paul to Titus chap. 1. verse 5. for this cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest ordaine Presbyters in every Citie not one but many And in the 14. of the Acts verse 23. and when they had ordained them Presbyters in every Church c. many Presbyters a Colledge of them was appointed to every Church and so in the 20. of the Acts there were many Presbyters who had the charge and government of that Church committed unto them in common ver 28. there was a Colledge of them constituted in that church and therefore for order sake which the light of nature teacheth they must have a President who by the way of excellencie and to distinguish him from the other is called an Angel as the inscription of the Epistle Rev. 12. 1. declares saying Vnto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus As in our dialect when we speake of the great counsell of the Kingdome or of the reverend assembly of Divines if there be occasion of distinguishing the Presidents of those councels from the other Judges in those assemblies wee say Master Speaker in the house of Lords or Commons or of the President of the Ministers we say Master Prolocutor and if any have occasion to write to either houses or to the Assembly they direct their letters to the Speakers or to the Prolocutor who communicates them to each Assemblies as being the Presidents of each Society and yet none of all these Presidents by that their place of honour and eminency have any more power or authority then the rest but onely in the casting voyce when the parties upon any occasion are for number equall and for appoynting of the times and places of meeting and for the methodicall and orderly carriage of the busines yea it is ever observed wheresoever there is a President there is a colledge or councell or a court nature dictates this and the custome of all nations proves it and withall by the same light of reason that counsell or colledge to whom God himselfe writes and directs his letters for redressing of abuses has the power in their hands for the rectifying of things amisse and that it peculiarly belongeth unto them as to the Magistrates invested with authority to order things according to direction and to punish and cast out offenders and that by their own power without the consent and approbation of the people as it is now in the great Councell and Parliament of the Kingdome who make not the people acquainted with what they have to do but so far as it pleaseth themselves and not out of any duty And so it was in the government of Gods Church by the first constitution every Church consisting of many congregations were governed by a colledge of Presbyters as that of Ierusalem and this of Ephesus and the other six Churches in all the which the Presbyters by their sole authority governed them according to Gods Word without taking the people into councell with them who were no where joyned in commission with them and therefore it is most apparent by those examples I have now produced and many more that might be added and from the commission that Christ gave to the Apostles and in them to all Ministers that the people had not their voices either for the admitting of any to be Members in any church or in the casting out of any for their delinquency much lesse have they authority to require a publike confession of their faith to be made unto the congregation or to exact of them to bring in the evidences of their true conversion or to require that they should walk with them some time before admission or to enter into a solemn private Covenant before they be admitted as Members for we have no president for any of these things in Gods Word much lesse any command only in Acts the sixt there is mention made that the Apostles for the freeing of themselves from all unnecessary incombrances and that they might the better attend upon their Ministery and preaching gave the people liberty to make choice of their own Deacons but still keeping the power of ordaining them in their own hand which always was arbitrary in them whether they would exercise it or no neither would the Apostles have ordained them unlesse those that were to be ordained had been men so qualified as they had appointed for otherwise it lay in their choyce whether they would ordain them or no. But that ever the congregation or people had the power of admitting of members or of ordaining of Officers it is no where extant in Gods Word But that the women should have a voice in the Church either for receiving in or casting out of members or officers or should have any thing to do with Peters Keys it is against the law of God and nature For Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinths 14. makes it one of the marks of confusion in any Church where women have their voices saying God is not the Author of confusion but of peace as in all the churches of the Saints and in the next verse following in expresse words saith Let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law and if they will learn any thing